:i 



LB 

10^7 
.C7 









••^■,. ..A^ 



o 0' 






o\' 






' ,A' 



o> •':> 



N^' '^ 



.A' 



■':^.<^ 



>^^'% 



<. .N^ 



^^' ', 



C \V 



"-. c^^ 



>V v^ •% 



.A^ 






;\> ^':- 



The 
Educational Value of Museums 



By 

Louise Connolly 

Edited and with an Introduction by 

J. C. Dana 



Newark, N. J. 

The Newark Museum Association 

1914 






DEC '' '1-6 




Contents 

Page 

Inll-udllcl inn vii 

The lMliir:ilioii:il \;iliic of .Musciniis — Siiiinii;n-y 

111' < 'iililclll 1 

The llcpdrl *' 

Old Musciiiiis ;iiiil Xcw ■"> 

The Olil Siiiillisiiiihiii niid 1lie Old Patciil oilicc. Ti 

(iood Miisciiins \\';lil('d oil <! 1 'rciuliiuit . ... <> 

Lifiiil Ol)t:iiiicd Iroiii .Muscniii Ilisdn-y S 

Liiilil ()lil;iin('(l trdiu .Muscniii l'sycli(d(ii;T . . . . " 

Museums I'.iiscd iiii iUc iliiurdiny Iiisfincl.. '.' 

MnsiMiiiis liascd (in lOxchisivc Posscssidn . . Id 

^InstMiiiis Iiis](ii-inji Wdudci- 11 

('hisses of Mnscniiis N'isiled 1'-! 

.M\iscuiiis I'^onndi'd liy ( "iillc;;('s V2 

ilusi'iHiis l^nddwcd liy lliili\ id\ials l^! 

Mnscniiis .Made by llic I'('ii|ilc 14 

( '(indiliolls dl' Miisciinis N'isilcd 1~> 

Dead Museums l-> 

Live ^luseums l'> 

The Tendency tn 1 »ie !("> 

The Education uf a ( 'ily 17 

The City's Need ul' ICduiaiion IT 

The Pdssihililies of Educatiuii liie Oily l!l 

The Agencies toi- lOducaliug tlie Oily l-'(l 

The Museum's Part in Edueatins the Oity I'l 

l'roj;ress ol' I'Muraliiui liy Museums 2'2 

Where Museum Teaching Shall liejiin 2^ 

The Aim of Museum Teaching; '-M 

Learning hy Doino- -<• 

The Dcictiine of Interest -27 

The Melhdd uf Presentation '^8 

The Curator 2S 

Teaehin,i;- Tlirout;li the Kar: The Oo.ent '-".i 

v 



Page 

Toacliiiiji 'l"ln(jiii;li I lie l\vc : 'I'lif Arrnnf^e- 

nient 29 

Devices in .Museum Teaehing 31 

Classification >i( Devices 31 

List of 1 )evices 31 

Co-operations of iOducational Afjencies 38 

The Agencies Involved 38 

Extent of Co-oi)era1ive Work 39 

The Attitude of Libraries 41 

The Attitude of Museums 42 

The Attitude of Schools 47 

Ditticnlties in Securinff Co-oiieraiion 48 

A])iilica1ions to Newark Museums 50 

Their Obvious Advantages 50 

The Inevitable (Trowth of Any Museum. ... 50 

Disadvantages of the Newark Museums 52 

Suggestions for the Newark Museums 53 

("leneral Scope of These Museiims 53 

Arl 54 

Industry 56 

Science 58 

S](ecitic Suggesiions foi- Tliese Museums... (51 

Children's Iumhii (Jl 

Habitat Grouii 01 

Educational Work 62 

:Minerals 62 

S(ul]itui-e 62 

Naluie and Science IJooui 03 

.\uiiiial Exhibits 03 

Industrial lOxhibils 64 

ICxhibils uf ilabilaliiins of ^lan 05 

IJdtany (JO 

Hygiene, Education, etc (it; 

^luseum Loans 07 

Leadiin; to ()tlier Museums 67 



Introduction 

We slionld try lo (Icvclo]!, lu'ic in Ncwaik, ii oroiij) of 
iiniseuins, in llic liclds nf ;u(. siience ami industry, of 
(he modern typi'. Oni- Newark ninseums, thai is, slunihl 
he of immediate jiraclical value to Newark citizens, old 
and youni;'. They should a|i])eal lo all of us, to the 
newer people as well as llie older. They sho\ild reflect 
our induslries. he slimulatiuf; and heljiful (o our work- 
ers, and proniole an interest here and elsewhere in the 
pnidncis of our own shops. Tliey sliouhl he Ihe hand- 
maidens of our scho(ds, helpinji' lo discover amonji' our 
llious.'inds of youuii ]!eo]de those lasles and talents 
which may lead lliem lo sudi accomplishmenls as will 
hring ]irolit, credit ami civilily lo oui- city. Our 
museums should <lo these Ihinus in all the lields they 
touch: in line arl, in the a|i|died arls. in indnslry. in 
Ihe mere uud<ini; of honesl j^oods which is itself a line 
art, and in ]iure and aitjilied science. 

In thus descrihinji' in hroad lerms the kinds of 
museums we should try lo creale here, f sjieak with cou- 
siderahle assui'auce. l!ul, while we wiio ,-ire daily at 
work ujiou our vei-y modest museum liej;innini;s feel 
(piile sure (hat we know in a ji'(''i''i'iil "i'.v toward what 
end we slionld ]iroceed, we (ind it dillicidt to discovei- 
tlie details with which we may most wisely lirst con- 
cern ourselves. This difticuKy w.is most keenly felt 
when we faced, a year ajjo, the fact thai our collections 
and cases were yi-owinii; very ra|iidly. thai we had one 
more small room only into which we could exjtand and 
that we must there, so far as ]iossihle, sui;-gest to the 
public the character of (he work we helieve the associa- 
tion should take uji as it <;rows and e.xp.inds iu later 
years — the work, (hat is. which lies outsiile and heyoud 

\ 1 1 



llip obviously |>ro]i('i' fields of sciiljitiirc, ])iiintin};, jiure 
and ajijilicd science, already oiillined Inielly l)wt jilainly 
l).\ onr \('i-y siiiall |ieriiiaiienl exiiiliils. 

.Much study and many discussions liad led us, as I 
have said, lo certiiin ^enei'al conclusions as to flie ])ro- 
JK'!- treatiiienl of this last availahle space. I'.ul we 
lacked assuiance in details, just as we lacked assur- 
ance collcerniufi llie details of the whole scheme of 
iiiodein. live, |io|)ular, leaching and iiisjiiiini;- museums 
which we had lolli;' heCoi'e a.!il'eed should lie the aim of 
this associat ion. 

At this ci-isis I was foflunately able lo send Miss 
Louise Connolly, educational ex|(erl of the h^i-ee I'uhlic 
IJIuary, on a lour of iiis]iecl ion of s(urie lifteeil oi' 
twenty of the museums of the country, and lo fjet from 
hei- a report on the very i|uestions we wi'r(> facinjj. 

Miss Coniiidly, while Hot a s]iecialisl in any liraiU'li 
of art or science or indusli-y, has kuowledije of schol- 
arly (|uality in all three, and of considerable de]illi in 
the last two, havinj; taken Iwo dej;'rees in science, 
worked as a sludelit in the National .Museums, and 
assisted I he lale I »r. I leliiy ( iannel t in the writ in^of his 

• 'ommercial (ieonraphy. She has also been for years a 
teachei- and suiierinlendeiii in the jinblic schools of New 

• lersey. .\nd she was Iraiui'd under the lale \\'. !'•. 
rowell, Siijierintendenl of the \\ashini;lon Schools, in 
such em|doymei)f of museums and s;-overniiient ajjencics 
for Ihe education of the youn^ ns has ])robably never 
been diiplicaled in .\merica. h'or the pur|)ose of this 
iii(|niiy, the close relations of the museums and the 
ruldic [abrary enabled us to obtain Miss Connolly's 
services for an imcsl ij;'ation into what modein museums 
are preachinii' and piaci isinj;- as to their e(lucational 
rmict ions. 

VI 11 



Miss Connolly iimhI the I»ire(tor.v of Anieiiean 
Museums, and iiiaikcd tlic names of Si' museums which 
seemed likely lo yield ]irotit alonjj; I lie line of our 
in(iuiry. 'i'o these she wi-ole, askiuj;' for intoriualion. 
eidiei- ihroujih j)rinled matter or by lettei'. on the 
sjieeial features of their educational activities. To 
tliese (pieries she received in reply It letters and Kid 
printed docuiiienis of more or U'ss re]e\ance. These siie 
read, markinj; ]iassa!»cs u( interest, and from the study 
(if these and other sources of information \\as made a 
Ieniati\'e itineiary. later i-cvised and expamled. 

8he visited lii-st, tlie Metrojiolitan .Museum <>( .\rt, 
the New Voik Zoojoi^ical Park, tiie Amei-ican .Museum 
of Natural llistoiy, the Ai|uariuiii. the Children's 
^iuseuni ill i'.edrord I'ark, i'.rooklyn, the Museum of (he 
IJiooklyn Academy of Arts and Sciences, Hie Industrial 
^luseum of ('oo|)er I'nion, and the museum collected by 
the New -lersey Dejiartment id' Ivlucatioii at 'i'renton. 

Then she took a short eastern trip including', in I'.os- 
ton, the Museum u( I'^ine Arts, the .Museum of Natural 
History and the Children's Museum; in Worcester, the 
Art Museum, the Jluseum of the Natural History Asso- 
ciation, and the Children's Museum id' Clark' Cnivers- 
ity; in Providence, the Koiier Williams Park Museums; 
in Wasliin<;1on, D. C., the Smithsonian, and its Chil- 
dren's Poom, the National Museum, iiicludiiii; the 
de]iartiiients of tieoloyy. biolojiv and etiinolojiyi and the 
I'.ureau (d' I'Muiation : in Pliilad(d]diia. the Academy id' 
Fine Arts .Miiseniii. its .\liimni ('luli, the ( 'omiiiercial 
Department of the Philaihdphia Miiseiiiiis. tin- .Museum 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Wajiiier 
Free Institute of Sciences. She already knew fair!\ 
well the Work of the Museum in I'^aii iiinnnt Park and 
tiiat of the Dre.xel Histitute. 



On this trip, with a nari-ower view of the liekl to be 
covered tiiaii was later obtained, agencies otlier than 
niuseiiiiis were oniv incidentally included. Hut, even 
so, some invest ij;alioii was made of liluaiy and scliool 
relations in Aew Voi-k and i'.rooi;lyn ; the Boston 
Library, a jjirls' manual training;' school in Woi'cester, 
till' I'l-ovidence Libi'ary, and the Carncjiic Library of 
\\'ashin}>ton were seen: ext rairmial school activities 
in Washinj^ton were investifialcil ; the librarian in Phil- 
adelphia, and three of his librarians ;ind the Secretary 
of the Alumni <'hdi in I'liiladelphia were inlcTvicwed. 
This trip consumed ci^lil days, fi-om Sciiiciidicr L".l to 
October G inclusiv(>. 

The western trip iniludcd : In Kelroil, the Art 
Museum, the nriicc of Ihc Sn|icrinl('nd('iit of Schools, 
the Public Library, and a visit to the site of the future 
Fine Arts Centre: in Toledo, the Museum of Art, the 
Library, and the SupcriMlcudcnt of Schools: in Indian 
a])olis, the Ilerron Art luslilulc. the otlices of the Art 
Sujiervisor. and (he Supervisor of Nature Study, a semi- 
industrial scImkiI. and the Public Library; in Richmond, 
ludian:i. I lie lionic ol Mrs. Johnson, who inaufjurated 
and conducts the museum movement tliei'c. the Art 
.Museum, the Supervisor of Public School Art, and the 
Public falirary; in Cincinnati, ilic .\il Museum of the 
Cincinnati Museum Association, the .Vrt Sihool. the 
liookwood rott(My, the Sujiervisor of Art in the Public 
Schools, ami the I'ublic Libi'ary: in Pittsbiirgh, the 
Pid)lic Liluary, the Libraiy School, the inuseuuis of Art 
and Science, and two lu-unh libraries. 

After her retuiii she visited the Museum of Plain- 
tield, N. ,1.. ;iTid the new Ait Museum at Montclair. 

In all. li.-f \isils were made. :!."i nf llicni In iiniscnnis. 
in<luding /.ocdo^ical collect ions. 

.\ 



Miss Beers, Principal of Elinwood School at Buffalo, 
had been eugaged for several mouths" woi'k at this 
museum, and as she had visited Chicago, just ]>revious 
to coining here, she was asked to i'ei"U't upon Ixith 
Butfalo and Chicago. St. fjouis ]iuhlishes very full 
accounts of its work. l'''rom these sources, thei'efoi'c, a 
fairly intelligent inclusion of St. Louis. I'.utl'alo, and 
Chicago was made. 

If it seems sirange that a pei'son could make ()5 
insjiections in i!t) days, in which were included 2~>iW 
miles of travel, it must he rcmcmlieied that this was 
not a search for details in mounting sp<'cimcns or in 
methods of covering walls, dv in the licsl way of dis- 
playing jade, or in any other feature of museum admin- 
istration. Neither was it an atti'm[it to investigate the 
qualitications of future jtossihle emjiloyees. Many 
things picke(l u]i li\ the way. had they lieen the oliject 
of these frmrs. would have taken longer (o gain in sys- 
tematic shape. The trained supervisor of any subject 
perceives certain things about his specialty at once. 
To fpiote from one of Miss Connolly's letters written 
daily to me en route. " I sjient. in s(»veral [ilaces. (|na<l- 
ruple the time I needed to discover what 1 wanted, 
as a matter of courtesy, or to gain interesting obsei-va- 
tional by-iiroducls." 

( >n her i-einrn. she i-ead wliat other people have had 
to say, during recent years, on museums, 'fhis reading 
inchuled many magazine articles, the sev(>n volumes of 
the ]iroceedings uf the American Museum Association, 
recent years of the English Museum Jouinal and such 
other general museum litei'ature as is hcr(> available in 
English. 

Siie then wrote a short formal I'eport u]ion hei' inves 
tigations. addressed to me, which, at my request, she 



cxiiandcd iind made more iiifoniial in style, tli.at it 
uiijjlit llie more readily ennjage Ilie alteiilioii of those 
not already versed in Ihc sulijeot. I asked her. lliat is, 
(o rnrnisli ns with a report wiiicli wonld he of interest 
and value, first lo ns who are trying to work out a 
theory of educational museums, and next to the gen- 
eral |)ul)!ii-. and es|)erially to oui- (dientele and s\i]i|iort- 
ers, the general |)uhli(' of >>'ewark. 

Jfer re|)ort did foi- ns two things. It told us that 
I he conclusinns we had drawn from reading, study, and 
geneial oliscrval ions, as to the modern trend in museum 
develoiimeiit, ilie eomlnsions which had led us to agree 
on the general charactei- which should distinguish 
Newark's museums — it fold ns that these conclusions 
are in haruiouy with the best modern jiracfice and 
esjiecially with the wishes, which have in many oases 
not yet been realizeil. of the more advanced and 
ajijuoved of museum w orkei-s. 

It told us also ([uite definitely how we should develoji 
the ]>lans we had m.-ide foi' our one availalde room. 
These jdans have been thus dpvel()y)ed in accordance 
with this ad\ice. and jiarlly worked out, with results 
that seem to jirove their cori'ecfness. 

We have not fullilled evei-y detail of the suggesticms 
given in the i-eiPoit, jiartly for lack of sjiace. ]iai-tly for 
lack of time, jiaitly for lack of money, and jiartly 
because we have wished lo move slowly and to keep onr 
minds open to outside suggestions of need or oppor- 
lunily. in accordance wiih the advice on |i. .")!• of ibis 
repoi't. 

At present we have, in what the Report calls the 
Northeast Koom, the nuclei of several museums, whose 
method and s<()|](> are tbei-e plainly defined. A cai'd on 
the door announces : 

XII 



Take note that in this i-ikhii llie exliiliiis tell several 
iiitei-estiii<;' stories : 

]. The evolution of |io(tei-\" and textiles from the 
shredded [laliii leaf lo ilie 'J'renton ]iolteries and the 
Newark looms. 

'_'. The ways in which uncivilized men adapt their 
houies lo their circnmslances. and use what they can 
get to make their livinjj;s. 

:i. How creatures live in the water. 

4. liow insects serve or injure men. and how cun- 
ningly they are adapted lo Iheir surroundings. 

5. How birds live and travel. 

(). How artists use insects, birds and lishes. 

These stories, and several olliei-s since added, are 
t(dd: 1. As far as ]iossible. by things : "J. When things 
lannol be (ibtaiued, by ]iictnres; .".. \Miere ncithei- 
things nor jiictures can serve, by wor<ls. 

Tiie room is already the haunt of ;i nuudiei- df young 
[ieo])le who come again and again lo ]iore over iis cases. 
And it attracts jiarents, teachers, and woiking men as 
none ol' the otiier ci>llections has ever done. 

I quote the conclusion of Miss Connolly's tirst report : 

"In my journeys 1 have met with mm-li courtesy and 
kindness from many sources. The great insliiulions 
have taken my mission as seriously as llanigh I i'epi-e- 
sented millions of invcstiueiil, and the small museums 
have given freel.\' in liuu' and ser\ice. And whenever 
I have mentioned interest in the educaiional asjieets of 
niusum woik, 1 liave found my sjiecially Irealed as 
resjiectfuJly as though it were Kenaissance I'ainlings 
or the Agricultural Implements of Ihe Aztecs. l'"'rom 
this little experience I am sure llial you are safe in 
believing that lliei'e is a great unaninnl\- ^lf seniiment 
in favor- of U\r conscious educaiional mission (d' all 

XIll 



nniscuiiis, and a warm and practical l_v jiroven spirif of 
hriillici-lHiod among museum oHicials. IT, in vour snuill 
beginniujis. you need licl|>. adxirc. loans, oi- cxciiauges, 
you will jii't llu'ui readily and (o the limit of tlie pow- 
ers of lliose ri'oui wiiom you solicit by a|ii>lying to any 
nuiseuni auywliei-e in the I'nited States. 

'"Permit me to thank you lor sending Tiie nu this inter- 
esting mission, and Un- giving me fi'eedom to jiursue my 
in([uiiies in my own way. I sincei-ely hope thai the 
museum may pi-olii halt as miicli ilinnigh this very 
incomplete reimrt as I have prdliied lioiii llie experi- 
ences on which il is based." 

The rei)orts of the proceedings of I he Assucial inn iif 
American .Museums lia\-e been especially heljilul id un 
in all our in(|uiries and experiments, and Miss Con- 
nolly asks me to add in ours her vei-y sjiecial ackiH)wl- 
edgmellts (if help I hei-erruiii. Mr. I'aul .M . Ilea, of 
Charleston. S. (.".. the secretary (d' the .\ssocial ion, was 
kind enough to let us have, long before iis publication, 
an advance copy of his IJeport on (he Ivlucational 
Work of .\meri(an .Museums. From it Miss Connolly 
drew uuirh hel|i iu making her report, and we found it 
suggestive and stimulating in our wuT'k. 

J. C. D. 

Newark, .\. .!.. Ndvcmbei-. 1!)14. 



XIV 



The Educational Value of Museums 



The Educational Value of Museums 



Summary of Content 

The inlrdihici idii by jiiidllicr li:iiiil dlivinlcs tlic iii-ccs- 
sily of ;;i\iiiji (Irhiils as lij I he jduriicys iiiailc: I llicri 
loic jii'dcced at oiH-c to ,i;i\(' (In- rusulls oT lln'sc jini, 
iitns ill fai'ts (ilp.ser\('(l ami ()|)iiii(iiis gleaiu'il. 

'I'lii' wiiik callcMl lor was a i'(']i(irl ii]n)ii llic ('(hica- 
lioiial riiiir(i<iii III' Anici-ican .Miiscuiiis ; not willi llic 
iolciil <il' i;iviii_n a dctailiMl ai-cnuiil dl' all the eihira- 
lidual wdi'k of eacli iimscuin, Imt I'or the piiritose df 
liniliiii; wiial is the Ircml df djiiiiioii and |nactice aiiiou.u 
IH'ogre.ssive iiisi itiil ioiis and wlial Newark shoiihl do 
Id stai-t wisely. 

No one, however |iredis|!dse(l, ruidd take snrh a tii|i 
as this w ilhdiir liecdinini;' (h'eply iiii]i|-essed liy liie nna- 
iiiiiiity and eiieiiiy with whi<-h American museums are 
eiigajiiii;; in arlive educatidiial wdi'k. And the same 
tliinfi' is line df many museums in l'>iirdpe ami in Asia. 

The study df the best df this wdi'k leads inevilalily 
to the cdiiclnsidn that Newark siidiihl eslaldish. dii the 
f<iundatidns alread\ laid, the f<jlldwin,n' : 

1. A museum of ail, inclinlinn' 
A. Fine art. ('(insist in;; of 

I. Cojiies of ty]!ieal ixvoni statues 
■J. Copies dl' tyi)ieal n'l-eat ]iaintiii.t;'s 
'■'>. A few specimens df cui-reiit werk in 

liainlinj;- and in sculpture 
4. Lariic iiumhers of plidtojiraplis and diher 
cheaii repiddiicl idiis. for lendini;', hy 
which the hislory of art. the work of 
artists and the pi-iiiciples of art can 
!)(> exem]>lilie(l. 



The Newark Museum Association 



J>. A])])lii'(l ;n-t, cousistiii;; uf 

1. A jicncnil sliidy ol' applied arl 

a. Synopses of I lie hisloi-y of ail as 

ajiplied to pottery, textiles, &c., 
in oi'ifiiiials and (■o])ies 

b. Syii(i](ses of the api)lied arts of the 

several nations, einineiii in this 
line 

c. Synopses of the iiielliods used in 

ai)i»lyiii<i art to ililfereiit mate- 
rials and classes of olijerts 
-. A s|pecial study of tiie applications of 
art in Newark, with examples ffom 
Newark factories and copies of oii<ii 
nals, old and modern, from this an<l 
other countries, of work in the same 
field as that from the Newark facto- 
ries. 

II. A museum of science, including 
A. (ieiicial science, consisting of 

1. A synojitical collection of 

a. minei'als 

1(. jilants 

c. animals 

illustrating very concisely the 
accejiied classifications in each 
kingdom, and simjily labeled. All 
am[»lilications of this synojisis to 
be kept in drawers or closets for 
use of students; but the synoj)sis 
itself to be so simple in e.xlent 
and in labels as to instruct the 
most ignorant layman 

2. Collections exeinplifying the dynamics 

of each science, as. for examjile, tlu" 
steps whereby mud becomes slate, 
sand bec(unes sandstone, the seed 



The Educational Value of Museums 



liciiiiiics M [iljini, and llic fiuiiia tits 
itst'lf lo its ciivirdUiiu'iil 
3. Collections sliowinj; how man uses his 
knowledge of nature's laws lo modify 
the products of nature, as iu tiie cul- 
tivation of plants, the artificial selec- 
tion hy which new varieties of animals 
are develojieil, and the physical and 
psychic improvement of I lie human 
sjiecies, as in the prevent inn and cure 
of disease, and in ])hysical and intel- 
lectual education. 

B. Local science, cunsistinj;' id' 

1. Collecliiins showini; ihe |icculiarilics of 

the genjicapliic unit to which Newark 
heloni;s 

2. Colle<-tions Inr Icndini; suited to the 

e.\])resscd needs (if the scho(ds of New- 
ark, jiuhlic, |iaiuchial. or ])rivate; 
elementary, secondary, or collegiate, 
as these shall arise 

III. A museum of indnsli-y, includint; 
A. (ieneral indusiiy. consisting of 

1. A synoptical collection showing types of 

the simple ojierations underlying the 
several industries 

2. A synojdical c(dlection showing the 

stages of develoimienl hy which pres- 
ent processes grew out of these sim- 
]ile o]ierations. 

r.. Local industry, showing 

1. The vaiiety of the industries of Newark 

and her industrial suhurlis 

2. The ste])s or stages in each manufacture. 

in so far as this is consistent witii 
jjdod liusiness 



The Newark Museum Association 



0. Till' sources of iiiaifiinls iiscil ainl llic 

dcsl fiiiitio7)s of |ii'o(lm-fs 

1. '!"li(' cxlciil of Xcwiiik's Iradc 

."j. Tlic I'oiilcs followed liy lici' iiiijiorls and 
(•X|>(ills 

(5. The luslory of XcwarU's imiusirial di'vcl- 

0|l1III'lll. 

1 1 will lie a|i|iarclil lliat iIiitc is here no sii^fjestion 
thai llicsc iiiiiscMiiis siiall strivi' after the wonderful, 
the costly, or the rai-e ill any of these collections. The 
fact that there is in Newark an associati(]ii ahle to care 
for such things will donhlless iiriiiji tlieni as jiresents 
or hecinests; lint, accoidiiij; to (lie plan above outlined, 
they will, on acce|itaiice, he so liiteil into (he aliove 
scheme that they iii:iy lie used as means of iiisl ruction, 
rather than displaced as inatlers of aslonislimeiii. 

Throiijilioul the rcpiiri emjiliasis is laid on the advisa- 
liilit\- of kee|iinji the aliiliiies ol' the museum stafl' ahead 
of ilic anioiinl of inalrrial shown, .\lready the Newark 
museum contains more olijecls than the jireseut corps 
can liaiKlle to liest advantage foi' the insTiiictioii of the 
visit<irs who now ins|iecl them. .\ud each year this 
disadvantage will ])ro\-e a more serious hiiidiaiice to 
the ohjecl at pi-eseni [;ai-,-imouul in the minds of 
ninsenm educators. 



The Report 

Old Museums and New 

The sdiily lit' pn'spiit day imiseiiiiis loads one to rorall 
file iiniseiiiiis of tliH past. Tliey coiitaiiicd (he eh'ineuls 
of the ty])es of inusiMiiiis met witli to-day. 

The Old Smithsonian and the Old Patent Office 

A half eeutui'y aiio visitors lo the National <'a]n1al 
nsed to he sliowu llie Smithsonian, it sat. far removed 
from man's daily life, on •■The Island." as sonthci-n 
\A'ashington was then calli'd. and was a|iproaclied 
aoros.s a qnas;inire of red Potomac iinid. over wliieh in 
coni'se of time an iusci-ni-e ]dank ]iath iirave jierilous 
fooiini;'. 

Not only was it inaeeessililo : ii was also intensely 
gloomy, a dark brown eastle with lorliiddinji- Towers, 
and windows that heunnl^ed the lij;lit. ( )n(c entered, 
it was re]iellenl within. It contained many and varie<l 
ohject.s symmetrically arranged in cases, and a vo\ 
lection of formidable looking Indian ]i(irlrai(s. Chil- 
ilren shrank from its portals, and honeymoon travelei-s 
felt in leaving it a sense of esca])e. 

• 'nltnre for cnlture's sake was what the Smithsonian 
meant to its lay visitois. Yonng ]ieo])le -led throngh it 
c(mtractcd. not (he miiscnm lialiit. Iml mnseophobia. a 
liori'or of mnscnms. 

In the same city, in the Patent Office, visitors gained 
an exjierience of another sort. The building is white, 
being an example of the (.'.reek ai-chiicciiirc emidoye(j 
by onr forefathers for jmblic buildings, with a low of 
beautiful I>oi-ic columns on its eastern side. Such 
buildings jtroduce a certain aesthetic ]deasure in nearly 
all who aj)|iroatli them. 



The Newark Museum Association 



Tlic •■iniiilcl riKPiii" ill iliis hiiililiiiii' \v;is. lor cliililrcn. 
a realm iil' Miss. In liinsc days an invcnhJi- not diily 
wrote a specification and made a drawing, as now: lie 
also caused to be made a iiiodel of liis iuventiou. And, 
in many cases in tlie "P.lne Room," were installed won- 
derful wooden models (d' all manner of devices. Tlie 
anxiety of the modern miiseiim curator to cajole the 
young into attendance foiiiis an amusing contrast to 
the struggle of the Patent Ollice watchmen in those 
days to keej) children out! There was a continual skir- 
mish at the eight entrances of the building between the 
children of the city, besieging the [dace to study and 
enjoy these models, and ilie coriis of devoted doorkeep- 
ei-s, defenders of the jialace of delight. Here weve 
pygmy harvesters, ploughs, corn huskers, looms, churns, 
clothes wi-ingers, — lilliputian machines of every descrip- 
lion that wmild ceiiainly "go" if one might lay hands 
on them. 

Good Museums Waited on Good Teaching 

It setiiiis strange that the hint c(mtained in these two 
contrasting exhibits, and in the very different reactions 
which they |iiodiiced in their visitors should not, a gen- 
ei-alioii ago. have led lo ilie inventing id' the modern 
Illllseiim. 

I'erhaps I he failure lo do this was but part of the 
general condition (d' iliings at a time when tliere was 
little kno\\ledge of how any teaching should be done. 
Smiilison's object was "the diffusion of knowledge"; 
but none knew how to diffuse that commodity with 
efHciencv. 



The Educational Value of Museums 7 

Then caiiic ilic iniMli'rn iiiDVcmciit in ]i('(laiio!iy- ^t 
took off the shackles of dead tonus that liail tramiueled 
the feet of teadiers. and hade I hem walk. Some do not 
know to iliis day thai Ihrii- IVct are lice: hut many are 
treadini;' wiib lirm siep tlic u|iliill |iatli 1hal leads to 
high aeliievciiirnl. jiisi because they know eniiiii;ii lo 
study the child as wi'll as Ihe suhjecl. 

To-day wiicii a iiiudcrn icaclier says to a child, ■'What 
is a lake".'" lie cxjiccis llic child lo search throiifiii his 
sliorl e.\]ierience. recall llic iiiciiiiu-y of the thing eorre- 
spondiiig to the \\in<l ■lake." and. li,\- the means at his 
command, express ihe |iicinre in i-ompreheiisilile terms. 

If he says "I kin sliow y<iti one." or "l kin drawr 
one," or "It".s a little one liy the iloniimeiit and a big 
one in Sojer's Home," or "irs made of water and it lills 
a wide h(de," the teacher so (jueslions and laicourages 
him that within a few seconds he acliie\-es an answer, 
correct in both substance and form. 

So we lake our children to see the real thing, what- 
ever it may be, ami then in ilie miisenm where hand 
specimens (d' it may be found lo reiiiiu<l lis (d' il, and 
then we reiluce our knowledge ,,{ ii lo langnag<», anik 
linally. \\c lunk iiiio IkkjUs In be reiiiindeil by language 
of our experience-gained knowledge. 

The whole city administration in any jirogressive city 
is a museum. .\ class reciting u]ion the function of 
courts has seen a cniiri in session. 1'he city iiself is .1 
still larger and fuller museum. .V class desiring to 
sketch trees sits in the park or on its si'hool-lionse door- 
step for the lesson. A class in United Stales history 
gathers about the sialiie id' \\'asliiiigtoii. IJivers ai-e 
studied nil a ri\'ei's brink. 



8 The Newark Museum Association 



So iliioiiuli ilicir iiwii iilis('r\ali<iii (if llic i-('.s]i(iiise 
given (<) their cUnrls. iiml ihrduiili the iliilnsiuii nl' idcjis 
as 1(1 liow (lie iK'oplc should be taunlil, iimseuiiis have 
been slowly led to the revolution which is now going on 

in Iheil- eniiilllrl. 

Light Obtained from Museum History 

lletorc the itinerary I'or this iiiission was made out. 
a liook was consulted — a liouk lull ot i-oniantic interest. 
Some draiiiaiisi or cjiic jioel slioiild diaw Iroiii it mate- 
rial lor his verse. Xeilhei- Iliad nor Odyssey was 
drawn Iroiii siicli a roiinlain of human expei'ience as is 
her;' contained. It would well reward the researches 
of a Kipling, a Shaw or a (ialswortliy. The hook is 
called "A Dii-ectory of American ^luseums" and was 
published in l!l|ll by the IJulf.ilo Society of Natural 
Sciences for the .\iiieriraii .Vssocial ion of .Museums. 

Here one may read, in trenchant statement. Imw the 
onl.\' son of his pai-euls. as they took him ab(nil the 
world in search ol' health, collected in bis travels speci- 
mens of this ami that, and on bis return fiom the other- 
wise fruitless vo.xage, engage(l his weary lioui-s in label- 
ing and placing them: and how. when he left them, the 
parents eusbriiied I hese objects of his last interest in a 
memorial nniseum. dedicated to the use of other lads 
who mi'^ht take up his interests in the years to come. 

.\nd lieie is told the stoi'v cd' the business man, set 
free by success from a toil I bat bad engaged his lesser 
I)owers, who spent the last years of life in an avocation 
which his soul knew foi- its I'eal vocation. And his wife 
made permanent his achievement by placing a museum 
in his nali\(> town. 



The Educational Value of Museums 



And here is ihe tale (if a financial Idnu. wiio liired a 
pliKldinii' sclicdar, nave him lea\-e l<i yrnl) in Held or lah- 
(ti'atfirv, and whose name now shines n])on a nuisenm 
facade liy virtne of Ihe scientilic colleclion made in his 
behalf liy Ihe modest scientist, who will himself ever 
lie nnhonoi'ed ami unknown. 

This liook shows jilainly I liar most mnsenms liav(> 
heen f(innde<l in the sincel'e di'sire to serve the men of 
the future li\' jireserving lor their ins];i'ciion the thinjis 
of the past. And n<i less plainly il shows that the U'v,' 
who felt Ihi.s desire have usually had lo sirtisjile 
as'iiinst itidilference, misundi'rstaiidini;'. and adversity 
to achieve their imrjiose. 

F'or .\<'ars the trustees of the Newark Museum have 
been feelini; about for a Inundation, however narrow, 
on which to ]ilanl the corner slone of their iiojie that 
Newark may one day have a i;i'oup of useful uiusi'ums 
as a centre for the inslriulioii of hi'r ciii/.eus. 

'IMiey may well have faith thai Ihe inslilution in tlieir 
charge, already so uralefnlly and graciously received 
by Ihe Xcwaik public aiul Newark's aduiinistration. 
will urow and llourisli aii<l become what they desire far 
Sooner an<l with far less sirui;.i;lc ihan have most of Ihe 
museuuis whose histories are <iulliued in Ibis wouderful 
record. 

Light Obtained from Museum Psychology 

Museums Based on the Hoarding Instinct 

The tendency to hoanl. mei-(dy for the sake of hoard- 
ing', antedates humanity. It is common to the squirrel 
and the magpie. .\nd those who would educate accord 
ing to Ihe culture e|io<h theory make jn-ovision fiu' the 



10 The Newark Museum Association 



]iericiil (if ■■(•(illcri i(ii:s." Tlic Imy iiiiikcs misccllanefnis 
lioardiufis nf striiiii, •,\ui\ \^>\l. i<\' kiiilV am] ball: lioys 
and fi'irls make staiii|i idllcii idiis ; in llir days of mii' 
iiiotlicrs little Rirls liad siriiius (it Inuioiis and "traded 
dnplicales" as sinew diy as an.\ adult coin collector. 
The lioardinu's ilie iIiIul;. imi ihc \ahie id' the hoard. 

This lendeiicy lo culleci is ilie psycholonical lia-sis 
of the iiinsenni. 

Thai niiiseniiis. Ihus liased. are nol more common, is 
due lo ihc laci thai the- leiidency is tar from nniversal. 
H. (I. Wells, in his novel, ••I'assionaie I''iiends,"" shows 
how unwillinijly some lads are foiced. hy external iires- 
snre, into accomi lalion lo lype in this i-es]iect. 

Museums Based on Exclusive Possession 

(It a|i|iaienil\ human origin is ihal desire to own 
and cherish which has iis ihiet basis in the fact thai hy 
its jjratilicaliou others are [irevented from possession. 
True, food and mate are thns exclusively [lossessed li.V 
some of the lower animals; hut rarely anythinji' else. 
Vet few are willinji' to jiloat in secret over an exclusive 
possession. The sweetness of ownershij) can he fully 
savored only when noii-|iossessin.t; sj)ectators admire. 
The miser, who hides his lioarilini;s. is an alinormality. 
This sjiirii of exclnsive jiossession, widely indulged in 
some deyree. is th(» secinnl tendency uuderlyinL;' the crea- 
I ion of the museum. 

In an art museum within t<'n luilcs of one of the 
worhTs t;-reatest art c(dlections, is a rmuii devoted to 
thirty or forty old masters, most <>[ them second-rate 
work.s hy second fate men. The curator was askeil. 
"Ccndd the daujihter of a moderatelv snccessful luaii. 



The Educational Value of Museums 11 

risiiiii Iriiiii llii' ranks ami toially iinai-i|iKiiul('il willi 
ari, prt'](are Iit'i-sclf in yonr uallciy Im- a year's shnly 
cil' ]iaintia!is in iMiriiiic?" 

"Well," said lie. ■■siic conld liiM soiui' iliint;s here; liuf 
of conrsc she wdiilil also do well to \isil llic X i;alkM'v, 
since it is so near." ••'riien." said his qnestioner, "don't 
yon really think yon had better sell these old masters 
to the X eoUection and liny lliinys lo till in the iiaps 
in yoni- modern collerl ion '?" 

"( >h, no !" said \\i\ "( ili. no ! We have two S<i-and-s{i's, 
and there are only Iweiily in llie woi-Jd !" 

On llie other hand, when I'itlslniriih was \isileil. the 
director of the Seieuee Mnsenm was away on a several 
moulhs' visii to the Kinji of Hpaiu for whom he was 
setting- np a "coiiy" — and there are nmny sneh copies — 
of the l>i|dodo( lis ("ai-nes'ii. 

Museums Inspiring Wonder 

Over the entrance to the Children's IJoom in ihe 
Smithsonian at Washington, is placed the adat;i'. 'NN'on- 
del- is the heninniiij; id' \\'isdoiH." prohalily a paraphrase 
of the nsnal renderinj; of Aristotle's "Knowledge begins 
in A\"onder": and Dr. J'.aiher. the l-^nglish mnseiiiu 
expert, notes that several of Ihe mosi lamons mnsenms 
of the world, as those of Lomlon and I'ai-is, were begnii 
as collections rd' "cnrions" things bronghi fr<im distant 
places diii'ing the jieriod of colonial e\]iansioii. 



I'ntil (jnite recent times these three tendencies, 
Hoarding, Ex<lnsive ( »\vin'ishiii and ^yonder, were 
represented by most of the world's great mnsenms. and 
they inllneiice largely the conduct even of the most mod- 
ern. 



12 The Newark Museum Association 

Classes of Museums Visited 

'I'll lliose will) only uccasionally, and at Idiij;' inii-rvals. 
visit iiinscmiis tlicro ilmihtlcss appears to be giH'at sim- 
ilarity ariiiiiii; iliciii. liiil a systematic survey reveals 
diU'ereiices tliai sliaiply dassily them liotli aceordiug 
to their present cuiHlil i<in and to tiie inliereiit qualities 
due III 1 iieir nriyiiis. 

Museums Founded by Colleges 

ill ilie ilays ut mir lailiris. wiieii a taste fur science 
meant a pleasure iu ruuninii,- down, classifyinf;' and 
labeling, museums arose based on tlie necessity for own- 
ing the means of ideiitilication. Sucii museums were 
estaldislied in liigli schiiuls and iidleges. I>ut their 
value depended entirely ujion the use to \\hich they 
were init, and that use waxed and waned with the jier- 
sonnel of tlie teaching stall'. 

Once a visiting lecturer needed a set of geologic speci- 
mens wherewith to illustrate a little talk to teadiers 
on geograjihy. She was referred tu the high school 
teacher of jiliysical geogi-ajihy. 

"Sir," saiil she, "I want a bottle ^>{ sand, jiieces of 
saiidstune. congloiiierate, and coi|uina; and specimens 
I if gianite, gneiss, and marble." 

■•I>u yiiii know those things when you see them?" said 
he. "1 do," said she. "'riien take these keys and select 
them," saiil lie. "I don"t know one of them by siglit." 
"But, e.xi-use me," said she, "I Ihoiight you were the 
teacher of physical geography." "So I am, but I know 
nothing about the subject. They appointed me to teach 
it because I had so many vacant periods. I am a 
teacher of Greek!" 



The Educational Value of Museums 13 



]S"(pt all scicnrc ciillccl inns, liiitlicit'd \>y cntlinsiasts 
and (U'posited in llie jirerariinis custndy of a shifting 
sclidol faciilt.v. iiicei sui-li iiU'lfiiiciit coiidii idiis as llicse; 
1ml llii' siliialidii illnsli-atcs a ticiici-al |i(issiliilitv. 
Scliudl and rdllc^d liillNClllMS, /*(■/■ sr. dflcil do Udl tldlir- 
isli. lii'caiisd llicy dd li(d iiifrl a iicriiiailclil need. 

Museums Endowed by Individuals 

Tlieii there is the ciiddwcd niusi'iiiu. Smiie worlhy 
son] (■duccivcs llic idea Ihal eiidiiriiip hdiidi- for his 
name may hcsi iic ohtaiiied liy the ('iiddwiiienl id' a 
iimsciim. Sd, ill Ihc midst of some valley which ]ii-(> 
(IiicimI him. or dl' sdinc cily whose jirdsjierily aii<l wlidse 
slums he ]ii'ddnce(l, lie sels diic. And ihc pcdjilc gaze 
at it, and wander through il and go away. 

It is one of ihe mosi dillii-ull feals in ihe worhl for 
any ciiralor, ho\\r\er de\-ote<l he and his slalf may lie, 
tu gel [ieo|ile fully lo use an endowed iiiiisi-iim. 

A decent from one of Ihe largest endowed iiistitnlions 
iu the world asked the diredor cd' one of ihe liniest. 
"Is il any hetter whrii Ihe si'cdiid griii'i a I iuii cdiiies 
along? Have they any iiiori' of I hi' fi-cling Ihal tlie 
ihing is theirs, any mori' re,-il iiileresi in il?" 

••No," said till' dircrliir, '■rm afraid lliey ha\-e not. 
Some say thr doiioi- looi; all he had from ilie neressi- 
lies of the iioor. and is oslenlationsly giving liaclc a 
little in llir form of things thai Ihry do iioi IVi'l tlie 
need of; ami sumi' say Ihal he i'\idriilly fell Iwiiiges 
al getting iiinre than his sharr. I!nl all use lln' 
miiseillii of his gill wilh languid inleri'st. as a Ihing 
exiernal lo llieir lives, ami londi'sri'iidingly. as ihoiigh 
till' favor wi'ii' tlirirs in usiny il at .all." 



14 The Newark Museum Association 

The niiirc (•(iiis|ii(iiiiiisl y llic dhjcci in (|iirsii(in is nn 
imliviilual i;iri, the iiinri' ciiiplint ic is tliis nttitudc. It 
seems to be less tell \\ lien tlie gift is to tiie ]iliU'e ol 
birth tlinn when it is to tlie jilace where the fortune 
was iiia<h'. 

■'Now .Idliiiiiif," sa,\s I he mill her. wiicii Ilie home 
place museum, or library, or liii;h school ojiciis, "When 
you go out into the world and make youi' fortune, see 
that you too remember to be grateful to the old lionie 
auil the old ])eople." 

Museums Made by the People 

Finally comes the uiuseum founded and supported 
liy "the jieople." There aie two ways in which the peo- 
ple may contribute to a museum. The city fathers may 
appi'opriate city taxes for it. or a groujt of interested 
citizens may raise the money foi- it l>y subscription. 

It is I'arely that so lai'ge a proimriinu of the com- 
munity awakens to an educational need as to make the 
first metliod feasible at once. Usually some small 
grou]i. freipienlly ins]iire(] liy one ardent soul, sees the 
vision, and labors to actualize it. Such labor may be 
a long struggle, apparently ineffective and ever to be 
unrewarded. Read the romantic story, recently pub- 
lished, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

When, after such a struggle, ihe ciiy does take hold, 
the stiucture that rises lias sure foundations in the 
affection and inlcrcsi of ilic <ity"s best citizens, both 
rich and po<ir. 

Yet each museum was a vision for some one before 
it was an actuality lur cNctydnc. and in the ]n'osaic col- 
umns of miiseiiin siaiisiics niaii\" of those I fausforma- 



The Educational Value of Museums 15 

lidlls ;iro depictt'il bv which out nf the sliiii;'f;le of a 
siiii^lc life caiiic an iiisi initimi h('l|il'iil t(i The many. 

Conditions of Museums Visited 

ft is easy In liiscoxcr h\ readini; their lepurls, i>i' by 
even a iiiiisl cnisory \isil. Ilial nnisennis are of two 
kinds — livin.i; and dead. 

Dead Museums 

There is tlie linisiied iiinseiuii, in whicii were jilaced 
l>y some bene\(denl or ambilious fonudev a number of 
objects of more or less value, 1o which nolhinj; of note 
has since been added and from whicli nothing' lias been 
snbtracte(l. The |ieo|de of the ]dace take visitors, com 
in;; from a disiance. lo see il. and occasionally liive 1o 
it embarrassini; possessions Ihal ihey lliink aic appro 
jiriafe to its supjxiseil function; but no one makes any 
]iraclical use of tJiese accessions. Tliere is a sayinji tliat 
"a completeil mnseiiiii is a i|e,-id museum": liui this is 
mil always true. 

.Villi there is the museuni ouce used iu leachiui:. uo\v 
dust laden and finloi-n. the teacher who knew its uses 
lieiug departi'd. .\M(\ there is tlie collecliou once ser\ ed 
by a volnnleer curatoi- or kept u]i by the annual dona- 
tions of some enthusiastic citizen, now neglected like an 
orphan ou the d(Hirsle]j of :iu uninterested puldic. 

Mveryu heie are found these defunct or siilMiorn ven- 
tuics. always dead either lor lai-k of ihe pei'soil whosi^ 
s|iiril constitute<l iheii- \ital |iower oi . (piile as often, 
from a plethora (d' "'thiniis" wliic'h o\-ei\\helm even the 
most energetic stall'. 



16 The Newark Museum Association 

Live Museums 

.V live iinisciiiii, wIm'IIhm- ■■cDinjilcicir' or iidl so \';\v 
iis its collections are coiici'rm'il, is oiic lo \vlii<li Uic 
public comes, cither I'oi' ]iie;isiirc (Ji- iiisl iiici icjii : or lo 
wliicli siiidciMs come for ilie iijeiiiillcaiioii of s|iecimens 
or for informal ion on classilical ion : or wlierein a 
scholar <]\velis. en^aji'cd in i-esearcii in some special 
lield. ami slorini; liis timtinas in his museum for the 
use of oilier specialisis of lii;e kimi willi himself. 

The h'airlianks Museum of Si. .Tohnslnuy, \'erniont, 
wiiile (piiie frankly ■•comi.-leieil." havini;- lieeu con- 
demned to remain miirii as iis founder lefl it, ha.s yet 
become noted for its vilaliiy liecause of the eclucational 
work which centred in it ilurin<; the curatorship of a 
woman with the museum aifl. And though the ^Museum 
(d' the Society (d' Natural History in tJoston does not 
usually Iielray iis liveliness to ihe casual \isiior, the 
sludeni who has occasion to use it linds iis curator 
alertly responsive to his needs. 

The Tendency to Die 

Like other insliiulions wiiicii use the ci'vslallized 
jsroducts (t{ enthusiasm, a museum tends, when ii has 
once materialized, to hecome a "comiileted" ami, soon 
thereafter, a dead tliiu"'. Here are so many cases, as 
nearly as may he dust- and germ-proof, wherein rest so 
many things. They are "keid"' liy curators, and may 
he seen liy Ihe curious hetween stuli and such hours on 
smdi and such days. Once upon a lime schools were 
•■kept" also, and to much the same sa<l end. In them 
the wisdom of the jiasi was ••im]iartcd." ami liy iliem 
noiu- was inspired lo learn. 



The Educational Value of Museums 17 



"To my iiiiud," «;iys I'liplessui- T. II, Mdiitudimny, 
in the Popular Science Moutlily (if -Tiily, liill. -a 
iiniseuni lliat consists mainly of coljcciions and of sim- 
]ih' carctakeis of these has a speaking resemlihuue (o 
a t;ia\ fyani." 

I'erhaps the term "(h^ad" has jieen used nnadvis 
edly. The story of Ihe Miiseiim nf ( "harlcsinn. South 
Carolina. toUl liy Mr. IJca hclorc ihc American Asso- 
ciation of iluseunis in i!(l"_'. in wliicli he s]ioke of "the 
nurTui-e an<l develo]imenl of the .Museum under the 
auspices successively of the iahrary Society, tiie Lit- 
erary and I'liilosopliical Sdciciy. tlic .Medical <'olle}>'e. 
and the ("(jUege of Charleston, and liow the coinmiinity 
rallicil to its sujijiort in limes <d' stress throu<;h pojt- 
ular snliscriptious and state and city approiiriatious." 
proves that a museum, while ajipareutly dead, may he 
hut a Sleepiuji' Beauty, awaiting only the kiss of ihi> 
Prince to arise again to happiness and service. 

The Education of a City 

V\'e see what our jiredispositious enaUle ns lo see. 
In Jenuette Lee's novel "The Taste ai Ap]des," the 
old >>'ew England shoemaker interjirets all h'.urope hy 
its hoots, 1'he mission of ins]iection (d' which this 
paper is a result was foreordained to discover in 
miiseuniN the educational aspecl. 

The City's Need of Education 

It is not dillicult for any enlightened citizen to 
look \ipon a city like Xewark. 7(t' , of whose citizens 
are of foreign j^ai-entage. the majorit\ of whose adiili 
inhaliilaiits ai-e engaged in ]ii-odiict i\-e toil, whicii con 



18 The Newark Museum Association 



laius no ciillcyc, wliicli w illiiii :i lew vcars liail milv oul' 
liifili scliiicil. ilic iiici i(p|iiilis 111' a stale wliicli (ill'crs no 
college o]i[)orIniiil ics I'oi- woincii, as a vasi school. 

There is no donhl liial nian.\' of .\i'«ai-k"s adnll rhil 
<ircn need insi inclioii on essential matters. In s]iiie 
of the ]irosiiei-it y tlial lilesses us. we cannot (h-ny that 
there is some linancial distress in lliecitx : Init one wiio 
watches Newark afoot is most deeply impressed with 
that |io\-erly which shows, not in inability to lin.\, lint 
in ijiiioraiH-e of what to liny. 

And these crowds njion the street are tlie active 
minded: they are learning daily hy (d)sei-valion and 
coni]iai-ison. and are lieing sharjiened constantly hy 
attrition. ^Hii may see them gi(iw in kiiowleilge and 
discertimeiit as yon ga/.e. The 1 iliiariaiis can tell you 
that tlieii' children are Newark's litei-ary class, dexour 

ing a major iierceiitage of the seriously cultural 1 ks 

ciii-ulale(l in I he cily. 

l!ut. behind this class of |)ei-ip;ilel ic students there 
are masses t>f unseen igiKJrance starving souls at 
washinhs. starving hearts at foi-ges. starving nnnds 
feeding the machiiH's that |irodnce the city's wealth. 

I ndoiditedly these peo]ile need education. If yon 
think any of them are too old to take it. observe the 
Iran.sl'oi-mat i<ui etfecte<l. not only in dress and cari-iage, 
hnt in manner and speech also, in the mother of any 
faiiuly of your acipiaintance that has acliie\ed recent 
ail\ alice in fort une. 

Iude<'d, in a scho(d like this we aT-e all pnidls: for 
there is not oiU' of us lint is in some i-especis a child — 
nndeveloped in s<ime essential eleuient necessary to 
complete eidighteiimeul. I am a child iu handicraft. 



The Educational Value of Museums 19 

\(Hi in imisical aiiiiiccijitiiiii, he in liistmy of ;nf, she 
in ilie clciiionts u\' j^dod cirizcnslii]!. WC all ncccl, ami 
lliai ii|Hm suinr vital |ii)inl. cli'iiii'nlai-y insti-iii-ti(in. 

The Possibilities of Educating the City 

Wr Hccil Hill lie ilisciiiiia^cd at llicsc lipiir Ininili'iM] 
llioiisaucl pupils, wliii arc uiir xcvy sehi's, with llicir 
il<'(']i and iiianiriilil ciiipl incsst's. Xolhini; is iiairt' dis- 
hcarlcnini; In llic Icaclii'i- than a luirdi' id' a llioiisaud 
rliildrcn, in inrolicrcui mass. I!ut, divide lliciii inio 
classes, and Inok iiiln Ihe laves of any f'lU'ty <>( tliese 
vhildi-en. and ymi disv(i\ei- Ihal ymi are lodkiuj;- into the 
eyes (d' I'oily angels, i-eady lo ^row in strenjitli and 
lieaiity and i;rave under yonr l<'adeislii]p. 

Forliinately, not all oi' the lour linndfe(l thousand 
of us must he taufiht the same lesson at the same time. 
Some have already idetx, some ji<iod manners, some 
lo\-e ol' Iieauly, some iiiaiiual sUill, some jiolitical avii 
men, some iniisical a|)pre(iation. The tact that we 
come Irom many lands ensures this \aried culture. And 
almost all ot us ari' ready to learn. 

The discerninji museum attendant jdays a liauie simi- 
lar lo that iuviilvinji the i|uesli(in, "ir not yourself who 
would you rather he?" and i;cts some sui-]irisiii;i' 
answers. This mild lookiiii; ijcntleman has an interest 
in tire arms. Here is a lawyer chielly interested in 
what |)ertains to the sea. "Uon't ,\oii think," says a 
la<l.\ who has never lra\eied farther than to New ^'ork, 
■•thai India is the most interesting- country in the 
world?" ."What Cnc always really wanted," says a city 
1 lernyman, "is to kee]i j;oats." 

An assistant in the <'iininnati Art ^Museum (ells of 



20 The Newark Museum Association 



several rariiici-s who llualcd u]i lo llic licij^lits wlicrcun 
lluit collectioii dwells, and wlio, after gazing about in 
the hall of (ircek KSculpture and seeniing ])arti(iilai-ly 
iiiipi-essed with the Parthenon frieze. a](]ieale(l thus to 
her, "\\hal are they all almul. ami why do yon keep 
them?" 

The Agencies for Educating the City 

Who are the teachers in this our eivie school? 

Among the foremost are the three classes of profes- 
sionals, the clergymen, jtriests and rahbis, chosen by 
grctujis of the people themselves to instruct them in 
religion, eiliics and morality, the sriioid teachers, 
whether public, private or parochial, trained, let us 
ho]M', and expei-ienced in the methods of child-culture, 
and I lie ucw spapcrs sclf-a])]ioinlcd, but assui-cd instruc- 
tors of all the p('()|d('. 'I'lieii the librarians, paid from 
the taxes to su|i]>ly good books to those who need them. 
Then the luany a]>]iointe(l or self-ajtpointed enlighten- 
ers t)f |inbli<- o|iiiiioii. such as settleiiieiil workers, tene- 
ment house inspectors, ])ublic welfare committees, shade 
tree coiiimissions. park commissions, playground con- 
ductors, women's and men's selfimprovenu'iil or civic 
imiMoveiiicnl clubs, under whatever uaiiie they llourisli. 
Then every stead \. Iioncsl wDrUman, turning out real 
goods, ami every clever iiici-cliani, showing good things 
in artistic display, and every siptare dealing ])olitician. 
lU'cacliing the best political economy that be can learti, 
and every conscientious housewife training her family 
and her dejieudents to gentle manners ami thrifty hab- 
its, and every mail on I hi' slicel \\lio sets an example 
n\' jialieni-e and coiirlesy under li-ial. 



The Educational Value of Museums 21 

'riu'sc nniutfiitioiial tcaclicis. however, lieiiiji' iins.ys- 
tciiializetl in iiiftliod, need not ciiiiafie us. Our cdiKorii 
is with the jirocesses of teachini; liy (lesion, (llearly, 
frniii this standpoint every one who feels tiie need of 
otliers is thereby called to teacli. And (his sort of good 
(■itizcnshi|i is iiirveasiim airumL;' us. 

The Museum's Part in Educating the City 

The sjiecitic demand upon any society liiat calls 
itself a museum associalion is for definite and adequate 
methods of visual inslrudion. cliiefiy by means of <lis- 
plays of collected objeds. 

This instruction may be given in al least three ways: 
(li To original investigators, by museum sjiecial- 
ists engageil in i-esearch. 

(2) To students, by collections and curators of 
special equipment. 

(3) To the laity, both adult and juvenile, by col- 
lections and guides available to all. 

Dr. Arthur t'.alher, of the llrilish .Museum Associa- 
tion, in his Presidenfs Address al the Aliei-di'cn Con- 
fei'euce of 1!)0.'!, aflei' enumerating the llirce divisions 
of a museum as i I i a stored sei-ies, accessible only 
to investigators, d'l an exhibiled sei-jes, iutendecl for 
the instruction of stndcnis, but denied to the public, 
^'^\ a smaller sel-ies of carefully selecled objects, so 
disiikiyed as to make llie utmost a]>]ieal to the gi'cat 
public. ad\is(>s the cuiator of a small museum thus: 

'"Ask yourself which of these Ihree functions your 
museum. is intendecl to fulfill, which of (hese classes 
forms Ihe majoiily of its visitors, oi- which of Ihem you 
mosi desire to serve. Coutine vour efi'orts al the most 



22 The Newark Museum Association 



to Iwo of llicsc luiicl iiius : lull ;il iiliv r;ili' fix mi one 
ol' lliciu ami. <l('V(iliiij; iiiosi u\ \iiiir ciu'rfjy lo (hat, 
arraiijic .vmir collc'clidiis accdriliiiulN." 

According; In Iliis aihii'c. il is cxiilciil llial il will he 
luliji liclurc llic Xcwaik iiiusciiins will all(Mii|il llic lii-sl 
fmictioii, llia( of sliariiij; willi s|ic(ial iiivcslijialors tho 
icsiiKs of oriii'iiial icscarcli. As lo tlic second fniictioii, 
III', l>isl)iow"s collcclioii already does work in identifi- 
e;ilion. and liii;li scjiocds scieuce teailiers hid fail- so 
lo nse il as far as il is aide lo sei-\e iliein. Tliis is ilie 
easiest of all functions lo |ierforni. 

Il is willi llie lliird I'linclioii, ilie insliaicl imi n\' ihe 
"jjreal |iiildic." ilial iliis inxcsi ii;al ion is cliielly con- 
(•ei-ne<i. 

Progress of Education by Museums 

l''or many years iliis siihjecl of insi iiiii ional use 
has lieen lalked al.oul. In ls;i;!, .Mr. IMwanl S. .Morse 
puhlislied in Ilie Allanlic .Monthly an article entitled 
'•If i'uldir l,ilirarics, \vli.\ not i'uldic .Museums?" .Vnd 
Mr. Ashley, of Demaresl. X. .1., al llie I 'hi ladel|ili ia 
nieetiufi of the American .\ssocialion of Museums, in 
HMIt. declared llial Ihal artiide had j;reat ililluence in 
accelei-at in;^ ihe I rend lo\\ar<l heller miiseum aids in 
puhlic schoid leacliin;;', allliouj;ii it di<l uoi |irodiice 
poi>ulai- interest in the estahlislinient of museums in 
small towns and xillaii'es. 

i'.ul lliefacl is that al Ihoii^h ever.Mine in llie museum 
wiirld is discussint; this function, so foreifi'ii is il lo ihe 
liahils of tliou<;lils of museum truslees and euraloi-s, 
and so unpre|>ared lo undcTstand il is Ihe ""i-eat ])nl)- 
lic," even that part id' the |Mihlic engaged in teaching, 
liiat it will he iiian\' Ncars hefore il will he fiill\- e.\er- 



The Educational Value of Museums 23 

ciscd. The leiichiiif; riiiicl idii nT llic Amcric.iii .Miiscmii 
is still ill its iiifaiuy. 

Sjipakiuji iis a tcaihei', oiip would say that this is 
larfi'oly due to lack (it pedaiidfiic lainwicdiic and skill 
on llic part of (Ik- niiisiMinis, a laclc nol lo he conilcnnH^d 
al I his slauc of file woi-hl's ad\ancciii('n(. 

Where Museum Teaching Shall Begin 

One ot the lii-st rcquisilcs of the icachci- is that he 
shall know the teaching, point of his ])n]iils. •U'licn I 
o'cf a class (it forty ti-cshnieu from a mnidici- of i;rani- 
mai- schools, and they aic all in dilfcrcnl sta.ucs of 
develo]>iii('nt, where shall 1 lie-in to teach?" said the 
high soIkkiI teacher to the su])erinteii(lent, and he 
retorted, "Kegin in forty jilaces!" 

He knew his Imsiness. The wise teacher liei;ins in 
forty places. And the wise curator who sets u|i a sim- 
ple case lalieled "Wini^s. and paws and hands, and 
hoofs," in the same room that holds a mii roscopic dis 
Jilay of the sti-ncture of hone, does wisely; foi' he 
assumes that he must liejiin in at least seveial places 
tu lead his ]iu|iils to enlinhteiimeiit. 

One coi-res]i(indent thus answered our in(piii-ies as to 
co-operation with the schools: "We tried tor se\en years 
to work with the schools here, and ne\er i;<il one 
response. I wish yon joy of your allemjit." 

Coniiiare that with the account of like work in Si. 
.lohnslinry. \\hile the curator was talking to an audi- 
ence of st-emiugly indifferent or hostile teachers, as lo 
liow she hojied to ladp (hem in their teaching of science, 
this thought came to her. "They are not against it ; they 
are simply afraid to do it. with oi- without help." 



24 The Newark Museum Association 



Sli;iii>lil\v;i.\ .she said In lliein, ••\\'()ul(l you like iiic 
Id do lliis (eac-Ling for you?" Her hearers were trans- 
roruK'd to ecstacy. "We would!" She had found their 
tcacliins i>()int. II was not in forty places, nor yet in 
I'diir. ll did mil cxisl I They knew neither the l)irds. 
nor how lo teach tiiciii. 

.Mdsl of the niuseuiirs visited, however eager to leach, 
were confessedly gropiug fur the jilace at which to 
establish their doorways. 

Said one young museum assistant, regarding her 
learned directoi' with a glance of atfectionate exaspera- 
tion, ••He knows a lot about cutlietisli; liut he knows 
no more of the needs of the average man than 1 know 
of the Ka." 

Said one virile director, ••My trustees are constantly 
pulling at my bit to haul me onto the tracks; but Tui 
all for traveling on the dirt road." 

Says Professor Moutgouiery, in the arliile previously 
quoted, j)leading for tiie em])]oyment of live employes 
as the great desideratum. "Wlien tliis is done, uiuseums 
in general will be great teaching iustil ulious, and 
cease to be cold storage centers." 

The Aim of Museum Teaching 

Professors Charles and Prank McMuiry put out, six- 
teen years ago. a little treatise on teaching, called ••The 
method of the Kecitation," whicli, if one text were their 
all, might well be recommended to museum curators 
and docents. They advised that the teacher have an 
aim, well defined, before beginning his instruction. 

When the director of a uiuseum shuts the door u]ion 
the auiassed hodge jiodge of his ten or twenty years' 



The Educational Value of Museums 25 

aci|iiisiti(in, ami yivcs a cliariiiiny illusi rated lecture 
to se\'eral hiini]re(l ]ie(i|ile iipim "( )ur Xeiyhliois. >si)rlli 
and Suiidi," willioiit a sinyle alliisiou to aiiytliiug in 
his coUeclion, one wonders what lie thinks his aim is. 
He directs a nuisenni, and he leaches; Imt, his uniseiiiii 
does not teach. 

When a curator with an ai'tistic soul arranges a 
Florentine scarf hack of an I'^truscan vase on a .Ta]ia 
nese stand, and so ilhiiiiinales the group through a 
Tiffany screen as to produce an harmonious etf'ect, one 
wonders what he thinks is his aim. lie could have 
l)]ended several olijects at less cost h\ a trip to Waua- 
maker's. 

^^'hen a charming voung lady gathers about her knee 
in an art gallery a gi'oup of young people full of senti- 
mental devotion, and tells them the story of l^urydice 
and then, on their di'pai-ture, sets down. "Saturday 
< 'lass in Api)reciation, 24," one longs to ini]uire her aim. 

The fact is, all these, and others, have an aim, though 
a crude one; they desire to attract people to their 
museums, and they hope that the silent inlluence of the 
museum will do the rest. Anil so it will, if it is a 
Teacliing Museum. 

In orch'r to achieve the leacliei-'s aim it is often liest 
to give the ptipii an aim of his own. The child makes 
a mat for mother at his teacher's sugg(>stion. His aim 
is to jilease mother, llis teacher's aim is (o deveio|i 
him. Presumahly the jiresident of a college is more 
interested in the discipline endui-ed than in (lie cuj) won 
by his victorious team. 

There is nothing in modi-rn educational method 
more resented by those who snITered. as jiupils. 



26 The Newark Museum Association 



iiudt'i- llic iiiicii'iil iiici IkkI, lluiii llic lijiliit (if fiivinji' the 
|ni|(il an ai;ri'i'iilili' aim. 'I'lic aim In llic old days was 
always lo escajic a w iii|i|iiiiji. Tlir chlci-s islill ai>])i'()ve 
it as a jn'oiicr aim. .Viid s(i, when a t earlier of lo-day 
aiHiDiuiccs to lici- class in rcadinj;'. •'^^'e will now see 
what fnrilicr happened to I'lysscs," tlicii- fcclini;s arc 
onliafjed. That teacher knows well enonjih, tlic ol<l 
folks say. that the fate of I'lysscs is not her aim. What 
she is after is lo train the soiuiii to lie intelligent read- 
ei's. and she slundd frankly say. "Now read with c.\|ires- 
sion or be jinnished." 

One iiiuseuni \isiicd. in its sui^jicsfion of an aim to 
the youth whom it wishes to instrn<-t, sh<i\\s a canny 
knowledjic of JH\'cnilc traits. It places on the front 
dooi' a si^n forliiddiny chihlrcn to come nnatt(Mnlc(]. 
and then recei\('s them with (i]ien arms. The curator 
declares that the deco\ works well. And one of our 
most famous ninsenms in a ureal m<'tr(i]iolis nives, 
diiriufi' the summer months, free t ransportati<in, a 
colored ]iostal card i-e|iidducini; some fe;itni-e of the 
(■ollections, and an ice cream cone to each liuest sent 
from cei-tain settlement ceutersi 

Learning by Doing 

The hesf leachinj; is lliat which causes the ]iupils to 
apply ]ir<im]itly the knowledjie that they <inm. There 
js a j^real deal of this done amonii American museums. 

In ('incinnati a uruu|i of those who liaN'e themselves 
received instrnctioii. act as volunteer unjiaid docents. 
In the C'hildi-en's Museum of Brooklyn a hoy <irou]i of 
practical enthusiasts jD'actioe wireless telerrra]ihy. con- 
struct indusirial models, make summer trijis atield. 



The Educational Value of Museums 27 



ami fiiiiii a juvenile I ree ((iiniiiissiciii lur their iKinie 
sireels. ( )ii llie wilil-tluwer l.ililc ul' llie Itdstoll Cliil 
ili-eli's .Museiilii each Ihiwei- m- spiin is iiiarkeil liy its 
liaiiie. Ihe dale when Innml. and ihe name n\' llie hrs( 
limlei-. The ('hirai;ii mnsenms weri' Innnd Id be alive 
wiih ihi' arlixiiies iiC iheir |ialri)ns. 

The Doctrine of Interest 

('rudely slaleil, Ihe ddelrine i<i inleresi leaches llial 
\v<' leai-n hesi llial which inleresis ns most. Sf\idies 
are made of cliildi-eii's inleresis and Hie cnriiciilnm is 
allei-i'd lo suil them. The recent exchange nl' modeiii 

for ancieni lani;ua,i;es in liiiih scl Is and c(dle;4('s. liie 

snlistil ntion of composilioii wrilin^ lor lechnical uram 
mar, and the current entlinsiasm lor \ocalioiiai edma 
tion are liased largely on this thictrine. 

So Ihe cominii mnseum is lo niinisler lo Ihe livinji' 
nei'ds of Ihe |ieo]de. •!. S. Lojkv,, in llar|ier's Weekly. 
Feliruary ijl, lUlL', ^Ljivcs a lixcly ai-couni (d' IIh^ activi- 
ties id' Ihe ('(Uumercial .Museum id' I'liihuhdjihia. lie 
lells us llial llie ohjecl of its edncalional work is ■■|he 
pi'epa ration of hoys and jiirls lo ]day an inlellijient jiart 
in tlie new era of foreign <(ini]ietition upon which 
America is enlerinj;."" He (daiiiis llial "To-dax there is, 
in reiinsylvania. no mounlain s(ho(d house, miles from 
a I'ailroad, hnl may lia\i'. from Ihis museum, ils own 
illuslrateil lectnres and ils own siienlilic cidleidiou of 
(dijecis thai eiiler illlo (lie World's coiiimei'ce." 

And Hie jiulilic schools, so conslanlly coni]dained of 
liy iiinseTim dii-eclors as dead lo arl and science, sho^\■, 
in l'liila()(d]ihia. ihe etfecl of ihe a]i]ieal lo what they 
feel lo lie Iheir liv(dv concern, since, in groniis nf 1(1(1, 



28 The Newark Museum Association 



the iliildren are hioiiglit to I lie iimseiiiii during school 
hours in such immhers that all the hours of evei-y school 
(lay are <;euerally enj^aged three mouths ahead. And 
this, although the School Board makes it not obliga- 
tory, hut merely gives jtermission fo7- the visits. 

The Method of Presentation 

Given, in the museum, a kiidwledge of (li what the 
public knows, (2) what it really needs, (3) what it 
thinks it needs, (4| what interests it — what tiien? 

Then, a wise melli<id of ]iresentatiiin. 

The Curator 

.Museum literature, written muslly hy dii'ectors. 
curalins, or docents, though sometiiues also by museum 
trustees, apotheosizes the curator. If he be a live man. 
all will be well ; if not, all devices, endowments, and 
gifts will be of no avail. "The crown <if the whole is 
the stall of curators," sa.vs one; and again, "The 
strength of an instituti<m lies wholly in its men." "(iive 
us docents eiiougli and llie torches lired at Iheir steady 
tiaine will soon make an end of the twilight of Ameri- 
can aesthetic life." says another. And l>r. leather 
declares. "II is astonishing what can lie done with the 
sienderesi iiu'ans if only the curators liave energy, and, 
what is more inijiortant, brains, and, what is most 
important, taste." He is speaking of art museums. 

These statements ai-e relalixidy true. There are 
many museums wliicji ai-e full of objects and yet fail 
lo fnn<-lioii: while oilier iiiuseuiiis, sjiending nearly 
niiiely pei- ceul oT ilieir incomes on curators, are func- 
tioning freely and prolitably. 



The Educational Value of Museums 29 



If, however, tlie Sijsliiie Maduiiiia were jiiveii lo a 
museum, no uiuounl of liui^Udr, stiii)i(lily. or even larU 
of taste iu the curator would preveul us from visidn;; 
that museum. And the cleverest and most tasteful 
corps of curators can l)lunder wofiill\- in their atlenijils 
to teach, when Ihe.v do not so much as liuow thai there 
may he a teachini;- iiielliod. 

Teaching Through the Ear; The Docent 

One critic prefers the term "docentrv" to "educa- 
tional" hecause the latter is so "dull"' aud the former 
so "alive." The fact is that, while docentrv, undei- 
present conditi<ins, is a valualile improvement on (dil, 
repellent or liiissc: fnirc mciho<ls, il is really in a way 
an ackuowledguient of shorl-comin^s in museum admin 
istration. A museum dedicated to the education of the 
])eople should be a series of colleclions, so selected, so 

grouped, so disjdayed and so laheliMl that j pie are 

allured aud held to the etforl of continuous ohservalion 
by the interest they excite, and, thus held, see facts in 
relation and are tjius caused to think rightly or to feel 
n()bly. When a docent tells you what you see, you do 
not wholly see; T(ui jiartly hear. 

Teaching Through the Eye: The Arrangement 

It was my good foi-tune. on my travels, to meel many 
directors, cui-aloi's, aud doi-enls. 'ri[c\ were all earnest 
workers, inlerested and iutelligcni. ami some of liiem 
had excellent taste, and they all obligingly enlightened 
me as to their aims and melliods. Some of them were 
born with the teaching faculty. And there were few 
from whom I failed to learn something likely to prolit 



30 The Newark Museum Association 



us in Xcwjuk. N'cl ;il I lie iimsciuii w liciciii I Icanied. 
perhajis, iiiosl nf Imw ilic people may he taught, [ had. 
as it ha]ipeiied, no guide l)ut a receutly a])]>()iiited jani 
toi-. Hei-e one wished to stay and study, for here wei'e 
uiany ideals, as lo museum instruction metliods, made 
visible. Iteyoiid ceitain clever (h'vices llieie was no! 
much that was new; but what had been, in other 
Uiiiseums, done now and then and almost by chance 
was here a mattei- of delermined policy. 

In one museum Ihe genlleman in cliai-ge of instruc- 
tion said that he conid never get Ihe curators 1(» leave 
objects groujK'd in cases where he wanted them for 
his teaching jmi'iioses; they would insist on rearrang- 
ing them according to some juiuciple included in Ihe 
history or the philosoidiy of ail. Hence his printed 
oullines were constantly made useless. 

In another museum the jn-inciide of gi'ouping is. 
foi- legal reasons largely, to jiut into one room what 
one uuin gave. This makes of the museum an adver- 
tising agency for a departed froesus, 

A doceul wanted lo couuecl design ill fabrics with 
school handiwork. '-Il is beneath our dignity to adniii 
amateur work to our galleries," said the curator. 

Wiihoiit Nym]iatlietic understanding of the iuipor- 
taiice of lliis work, directors and triistees are apt to 
think the necessary se(|uences of objects illogical, and 
Ihe best inslruct ional devices trivial. "What is this 
l^igliteenlh ("eiitiiry \ase doing next a Trenton bowl?'" 
asks the director. "1 was illustrating glazes," says the 
cuiator. "Vou are mi.xing jieriods," retorts the direc- 
tor. The most unhaiijiy museum ofticials in the country 
are those who hear the call to teach, but lack the skill 



The Educatinnal Value of Museums 31 



1(1 iiiiikc if iuidihlc to tlicir sn]i('iii)is in uriirc. \\'licn 
tlie deafness is aiiiunii llie snlM)r<lin:iles. Ilieic is always 
a |iiissilp]e remedy. 

Devices in Museum Teaching 

Classification of Devices 

Deviees are direel or (•(lUtiihutory ; lliey eitlier 
iustrucf, (11- alliacl. 

A series of nesis, Imnows, lii\'es, etc., lalieled •■Homes 
of Animals" is a direel leaeliini; device. .\ weekly lee- 
lure n])on "Tlie All of llie Nations," ealt nlaleil lo lead 
]ieo[de lo uo from llie le4liii-(> hall lo llie imisiMllll lo 
look at jiiclnres from Holland, lialy or {'"ranee, is a 
eontribntoi-y device. 

A docent who lakes jiarlies alioiil ihe museum, is a 
devii-e meani lo iiisirmi, while an or^an reriial wiihiii 
Ihe mnseiim preeincls, is meani lo allraei visiioi-s. 

List of Devices 

Here is a lisl of some of ihe devices seen in museums 
visiled : 

1. Ijive crealiiri's, such as lisli, liirds. monkexs, liees. 
iiiosily serving lo |ii-oduce alniosiihere. A hoy who, 
wandering; lliron^li Ihe formal aisles of a iiiiiseiim. 
meets a com|ianiouaide monkey. Iliaws al once. 

:.'. I'rocesses deniouslraled, as when tlie curalor 
uses the ]i(dter"s wheel, 

i\. Tliiniis Ihal work, a Idasi furnace ihal liyhls u|i 
if one presses a liuflon, oi- a workinj; mode! of a canal. 

I. T;ecTures in lecture halls attached lo Ihe museum, 
'i'his is verv common. The lectures mav he ^iven to 



32 The Newark Museum Association 



clubs, to iiiiscellimeons audiences, to classes. They 
Mi:iy lie lice, lor |>ay. durinjr school hours, on holidays, 
to dele<;alc.s fioni classes, to the woikeis in a factory. 
.Vud they may be illustrated with objects, with slides, 
or with moving pictures. At one museum lectures on 
arl are j;iveu ]icriodi(ally in Italian. At Boston, lec- 
tures on .Japan are given by Ja]ianes(» in costume. In 
Brooklyn a leilurer gave the same lecture eleven times 
in one day. 

These lectures may be given by the stall' members or 
by outsiders. The lecturer may be paid or a volunteer. 
A curator says •■\A'e don"t ]iay, but I always, in writing 
thanks, enclose a crisp lixc dollar bill for expenses." 
Some lecturers are engaged regularly, and paid well. 

5. Docentry. This may be a kind of sublimated 
guide service, the hackneyed memoriter story of the 
ohl lasliioiK'd guide being rejilaced by an infoi-nial talk, 
adjusted to the intelligence of the hearers; or it may 
be a real lesson, given to a group seated about a case 
])repaied foi' the ]iurpose. 

<i. Lectures by the stall' in schools, homes, (dubs, etc. 
One curator announces that he will lecture to any 
organization about anything, so long as they realize 
where he is from and what he represents. 

7. Heal classes. There are all grades and styles of 
this work. In one i)lace teachers come foi- work which 
counts lowaids ]ironiotion credits and university 
degrees. In Uullalo. all the science woi-k in the city 
schools is ildUi' li\ the museum force, the jinpils coining 
by direction during school hours. 

S. Story telling. This varies with the personality 
of the teller. 



The Educational Value of Museums 33 



!l. lOxnii-sidii Icailinji. TIic exi-nrsiun may he a liinl 
walk, a trip oF liisldiic interest, a tree-study Iriji, or 
a star-;.;azinj; jaunt. It may he led hy une (if the slatT 
or hy an outsider. Its eonnecliDii Axilli the museum is 
(il'len loose. 

10. Entertainments. These vary from society fune- 
tious lo visits from settlements, transportation of visi- 
tors sometimes lieino' ]iaid in tlie lattcT- case. 

11. Eiii]doyment of llic laily. .V curalor in I'.os- 
ton asked a i;rou|i of children for advice in choosini:- 
tlie jirints for a children's exhihil. In another museum, 
volunlecr ■•.Museiiiii (iuards"" keep disci|diiie on Sun- 
day.s. In anotlier, ".Museum Aids" lay wnmen who 
volunteer, and receive inslrnclion — act as «;ui(h's, and 
lielp in laltelino'. Auolhei- museum exchanjies service 
willi the local hoy scouts. 

iL'. Open lahoratories. In one museum, a constant 
watch is kepi for peojile, esjiecially youns ]>eople, who 
show unusual inicresi. To such an one access to cases, 
a stool a1 a tahle whei-e he may work, laiioratory facili- 
ties, and odier liherlies are liradnallv accor(l(^d. 

]'■>. Lending;' ohjects lo go oui of Ihe museum. Pic- 
Mircs, slides, stereofjra]ihs, lanterns, type-written lec- 
luves, rr;ime<l picluri's, cases of specimens, oil paintings, 
jiianohi I'ccords, materials for exiierimenls, all are sent 
lo sclio(ds, cluhs, churches and homes. 

li. Flower tahles. These have heen descrilied. 

15. Telescopes, planetarinms, celestial spheres and 
domes. The return to a general interesi in astronomy 
thi-ongh Ihe agency of Ihe museum is notewcu'lhy. 

16. Aclivilies, related to the museum colleclious, foi- 
children to enyaiie in. The Worcester Art ]Mnseum has 



34 The Newark Museum Association 

siidDji' wdik of lliis sort. Anions these are transparent 
slates on wliicli to draw the main lines of siinjile pic- 
tures, prints to color, picture puzzles, individual writ- 
ten catalogs of iii<lures studied, a game like Authors, 
composition contests foi- ])rizes, clubs for neighborhood 
ini])rovement. or for science or art study, exhibits of 
collections bv pupils. 

17. Labels. In cases in a cerluiu Hiiiseiini is a .series 
of lal)els like the following: 

Shell Gorget Representing Human Face with Burial No. 205 
Rose Mound, Cross Co. Arkansas 

TerraCotta Statuettes of Chalcluhuitlicce 
"Emerald Skirted" Goddess of the Flowing Water— Mexico 

If those are lai)els illuuiinating lo the specialist and 
specialists visit the museum, then they are the labels 
to use. But it would seem that either other and simpler 
labels should enlighten the layman, or that laymen 
should not be invited into the alcove containing this 
exhibit. 

In the same museum is found this intelligible label: 

Dog Sled— Greenland 
Peary Relief Expedition 

Museum literature contains many admissions by 
museum authorities that the laliel problem is a grave 
one. Some museum experts have solved ii wnudei'tully 
well. 



The Educational Value of Museums 



35 



Here is a lal>el llial teaches: 



Sponges 

Sponges are a low S(ii-| of animal life, 
mostly marine 

Made of soft tissue ami a touuli horny 
skel et < >n — Ba t h Spi inu'e 
or siliceous material like ^lass 
or carhoiiatc of lime 

Found in 

warm siialiow water — Commei-cial 
dee]) water — (ilassy 
fresh water — One family of glassy 
cosmo]iolitan — Limey ami glassy 

Used for hath imrposes — Horny sponges 

Caught by iliving, (Iredgiug or nsiug long- 
hamll('<l forks from hoats 

Artificially propagated hy cuttings which 
mature in from one to three years 

Skeletons only are exhihiteil: soil slimy 
tissue is removed 

Ask for Museum bulletin, vol. III. Xo. 5 

See reference hook list jiosted on stair 
landiui;. 



}\o specialist needs sucii a lahel. P.ut this case is 
gazed at each Siuiday hy hnudreds of ]ieo|)le, from the 
Italian laboi'er's family to the mayoi^'s wife, not one in 
a linn<li'ed of whom ever heard of a sponge outside of 
a hathtnh. If the readers of that lahel look knowingly 
at the sjtonge when next they use it, printer's ink has 
not heen wasted. 



36 The Newark Museum Association 

Nearby stainls a liij;' licai- in a case. 'I'lie label reads: 
■■Obscrvo — ■' and llieu follows a list of salient features, 
which would not have been observed without the stim- 
ulus of the sujjseslions. 

Here is a nnod label placed under a slran.ne, weapon- 
like article in a jilass case devoled lo .Maska: 



Scratcher for Decoying Seal 

Seals are curious and are easily al 
Iracted by unusual sounds. With a 
scratcher like (his I he liunler makes a 
sound near a blowdiole in llie ice, and thus 
entices llie seal into a net. 



Any layman can uuderslaud thai; no one, however 
erudite, could know the facts A\ithoiit such instruction 
as tills. And there would be little \alue in sliowinji the 
scratcher were not (he label thus explicit. 

IS. Catalor>s. Thev are as vexing as labels. 

Suppose a jioor man takes his children to a uuiseum 
of art. He buys a tine-looking catalog at the door. 

•'This," says the father, "will tell us about the things, 
and we can take it home and refresh our memories with 
it." Then he ojiens it and reads, "No. '2~)'.)a. a wooden 
statue of Jerapopacockle. :!l! inches high, and 111 
inches wide at the shoulders. The god" — oh, it's a 
goil — "wears a tall head dress. He stands ou a low 
pedestal, resting his weight on both feet. In iiis right 
hand he holds a sjiear, and on his arm is fastened a 
round shield. Ills exiuession is severe. Tlie end of the 



The Educational Value of Museums 37 



nose is sligliMy ild'aced. Sii]>]misc(1 Io lii'lonii' to the 
ninety-liftli dyiuistyl" 

Tlicu lu' looks around at liis astonislicd otTsin-init, and 
the most lio])efiil ciics, "Wliy llicrc's only one thing 
told there tiiat I couldn't see t'oi- myself, and that one 
I couldn't understand, ^^'llat's the ninety-tifth dyn- 
asty'?" Then the father lilushiuiily replies, "I think 
it's the reign of soiue family somewhere," and shuts the 
book, inwardly calculating that it «ill take lifteen 
walks homeward at night to make good the seventy-tive 
cents. 

Catalogs are here iiichaled because they can lie used 
to instruct and sometimes are thus used. 

Til. Things grouped about a tho\ighl, oi- central and 
nnderst audable idea. Many uiuseuuis have such groui)S. 
Some museums ha\e maiiy nt them. AiiKiug these ideas 
are: "Homes of Animals." "I'mteclive coloring of ani- 
mals," •■Keversions." "Tree diseases," "Structural 
plans," "The early ste]is in weaving," "Uird calendars," 
"The e\iilution of trans]Mut.'i(ion methods," "Albinos," 
"I low ciial is formed," "The evolution id' th(> landscape," 
"Some ways of portraying the wind." 

This list of devices for museum teaching might be 
more minute. It covers, however, iu these Iweiity 
classes, most of those seen. 

^^'hal cannot be thus enumerate<l is the wide range of 
the apjieal which museums are making on the adver- 
tising side. Every tyjie of human being is included in 
the s]iecial a])peal of some Auierican museum. The 
National Museum at Washington gives instruction in 
what to collect and how to shiji it. to the outgoing con- 
sul : another museum is the reudez\-ous (d' Society; 



38 The Newark Museum Association 



ii (hird makes an effort to attract motornien, and the 
"Truck Drivers' Convivial Chili" is invited to its shows. 

Co-operations of Educational Agencies 

Willi the jjrowtli in the coninninity of the louinuinity 
S])irit, and of the tendency to see society as a whole 
and social forces in their mutual relations, there has 
arisen a iiuivement so to unify the education of the 
child, and so to integrate the services of church, family, 
school and social life, as to make character growl li 
symnu'lrical. 

It was natural, then, in ihis incjuiiy, lo look not only 
for the educational work of the Museum itself, but also 
for its co-operation wiili oilier cducalioual agencies. 
It must lie confessed lliai liiilc of smh woi-k was found. 

The Agencies Involved 

Some science museums have subsidiary gardens for 
experiments. Some museums are in jiarks and closely 
altiliated with park officials, Hnancially, or sentimen- 
tally. Some art museums June art schools as ajipen- 
dages. or are themselves a]ipendages of such schools. 

An inherent antipathy seems to exist between 
museums and libraries, one which even the most book- 
ish director and the most ])ractical librarian, united in 
personal good fellowship, cannot wholly overcome. 
Many museums have libraries, some merely for staff 
use, and some advertised as for the use of ]iatrons. Not 
a few museiims are housed in library buildings. 

President Ward, of the Public ^Museum of Milwaukee, 
addressing the Museum Association in Utl.^>, adjured 
his confreres to avoid the lilnarv as a foster motiier. 



The Educational Value of Museums 39 

"We have in Wiscousiu," he saiil, "quite a nuiiilier of 
museums run under the ausjtices of lil)raries, and every 
one of them is dead." The museums of Pittsburgh seem 
not to be injured by their lilirai'v contacts. And tlic 
Xi'wai-l; vcntiu'c, lho\ij;b still all infant, shuws \ilalily 
at least in firowint;. 

Co-oi)erati<in witli schools is clearly a most natural 
form of \v(irl< for any museum. But a certain cciurl of 
law refused to aduiit that the museum is an educational 
instilulidU, and the ("arnejjie Foundation does nut 
admit museum curators to its |irofcssorial pensinu 
])rivilej;es. At the lirsr iiieetinji' of the Musenin Asso- 
ciatidu it was moved that the organization becoinc 
allied with the National p]ducati(mal Associati(m: ilic 
(■(iiiiinil Ice apjiointed to clfcct the coalition died of 
ali-(j|iliy dni-Jng llic next two years. 

iivirh'ntly, then, museums have co-ojM'rated little, in 
the past, with other organizations, and es|)ecially with 
schools. The genei-al ](ractice is to edn<-ale ilie iliild 
in scho(ds by means of woi-ds, and the adull in imiseuins 
by means of things — a reversal i<i what ^xould seem lo 
be the naluial order, "The thing liefore the name." 

Extent of Co-operative Work 

What is the extent and what the jirolit of coojiera- 
tions among these institutions of cultui-e? 

This is part of another (piestion : What work is done 
by the schools outside the schoolidom walls? 

In all ]irogressive cities something is done besides the 
traditional class room woik. This is in resjjonse to the 
movement against the depressing effect of foi-malism, 
and of plaring chief reliance on the text-book. 



40 The Newark Museum Association 

111 tliis work outside the school room four institu- 
lioiis are concerued : Schools, Libraries, Museums, and 
(■('r(ain volunteer agencies peculiar to each city, such as 
]>arentlea(iHMs" associations, lyceums, institutes of 
science, liisioiy, art. or iinisic, women's clnlis. men's 
organ izat ions, etc. In every city llu' silualiun has its 
own special features. 

From one place, as already stated, our letter of 
inquiry lii-ou<;ht lliis from the cui'ator: "We tried t'oi' 
seven years to work with the schools here, and never 
got one response." In another city the librarian said, 
"We kee]) as far a«uy from I he schools as we can." In 
another city llic curaior of one museum declared that 
the public school oflicials \\ere (he only dead educators 
in the ]iiace: and the cui'alor of another museum said 
that the siliool ollicials were his best supporters. 

So varied and contradictory were the replies received 
to inquiries about the relation between museums and 
the other institutions that this program of inquiry was 
adi)];l('<l iu each cily: 

ill \'isit the museums. ( L' ) \'isit the lilii-aries, (8) 
YisiX the superintendent of schools. 

At museums and libraries the inquiries were: What 
are you doing for the scliools"? For (he women's dubs? 
For settlements? For factories, sho])s and stores? For 
churches, and men's organizations? For anybody else 
by way of direct education? What lectures do yon 
give? What do yon |inblisii? Wiiat. besides books, 
do you circulate? How do you advertise? flow do 
you label your wares? What classes visit you? Whom 
do you visit ? Wliai do you <lo for each other? 

The scliDol s\ip('i-iuli'ndeuts and su]iervisors were 



The Educational Value of Museums 41 

asked: ^Vliat use do von make of the lilirarv. the 
museum, the zoo, the jtai'ks? Of factories aud eity 
depai'tiuents? Of eollettions, stereoseojies. stereo- 
<;ra]ihs, stereo])f icons, eliarts and ]>ietures? What do 
YOU i;et into your classes from outside and wliat out- 
side of your classes do you see? 

These inquiries were ]>ursued with more or less thor 
oughness in nearly every jilace visited. 

The Attitude of Libraries 

All liliraries know (hat they have a duty lieyond thai 
of sup]ilying; books to citizens who ask fni- them. Tiie 
mo(lern lihrai-y contains the hdnk militant. 

It is an important article in the lihrarianV creed that 
he should so emphasize his mission that a large jiercent 
age of the adults and nil flir <-Ii ililnii in the coijimunify 
shall he aware that he has sonielhiug to oliei' them. 
Wliat the percentage of adults should he is a (|ueslion 
to he settled hy each lihrai-ian accoiiling to his condi- 
tions, Init all progressive lilirai-ians agree that l()l)'^;i 
of the children should he the goal. In all (he cities 
where the question was asked classes from the schools 
go freely to the lilirai-y for lessons in its use. 

In Providence e\'ei-y child wlm reaches the sixth grade 
has had two lessons at the lihrary during school hours, 
and in T<de(lo the ju'esent Su]ieiiutenden( of Schools, 
on taking ol'lice, sent every ]iul)lic scIhmiI ])upll in the 
city above the second grade to the library for a lesson, 
and thereafter has caused evei-y third gi'ade class to go 
as soon after pronioti(Ui as jxissilde, lest some over-age 
puj)il be withdrawn and miss the initiation. 

In Pittsburgh, not content with its work in schools. 



42 The Newark Museum Association 



I'lutories, settlements, and stores, the library has some 
seventj'-tive assistants who dist-over groups of children 
debarred by the isolating toi)ography of the city from 
frequent visits even to the numerous branch libraries, 
and who visit these groujis regularly at Ihe home of 
some one <hild, reading, telling stories, and circulating 
books. 

The Attitude of Museums 

The museums have no such universal understanding 
of tiieir duty. Perhaps their duty is not as yet so 
comi)reheusive. Every sane adult who can read must 
need, at some time, lo rcail with sdiuc definite purjiose. 
Every inciiil)er nl' every coniiiiiiuily over ten years of 
age shouhl read daily for pleasure. \ud the i)u))lic 
library is the acci'edited distributor of printed matter. 

But museums are fitted for widely different tastes 
and uses, ami their appeal is to consideral)ly less than 
one hundri'd pei- rent of tiie coiiiiiiuuity. 

Even museums of the first class, however, do some 
Ihiug for the people at large, 

^^'hen Smithson laid the foundation of our national 
tnuseum, he dedicateil it thus : "For the increase^ and 
difi'usion of knowledge among men." 

The curators see to it that the e.xiiiliits open id the 
general public contain (lis])lays sulticiently spectacular 
to awaken pride in American pilgrims and respect in 
foi'eign visitors. They identify and interpret specimens 
and answer questions, no mailer whence tlie source; 
and the department ot mineralogy gives dui)licate 
specimens to all who ask, merely slii)ulating that the 
request be sent in through a senator or representative. 
Also tills department gives a broad interjiretation to 



The Educational Value of Museums 43 



the term "Exchange." It' you are a ueniiiiie collerlui' 
VdU luav send to it '2i) specimens that it docs not need 
and get in return 50 specimens lliat you do need. 
Neillier of the other deitartiiients can. from tlie nat\ire 
of tlie case, be so democratically ediicatidnal, for even 
of Indian arrow heads the sn]i])ly is limited, and a 
stuHed gorilla is not an exchangealile commodily. 

The educational molto of this uiusenm might he "Fur- 
ther and ]iicserve the discoveries of the few that they 
may teach the many.'" 

The Children's room in the Smithsonian seems tit 
have direct educational relation to the children of 
^\'ashinglon. whu alone <an reach it. It is attractive 
and interesting, and its secretary says that he receives 
many letters inquiring ahout its methods and ])ui]iose. 

More exclusively devoted to the needs of the special 
ist is the museum created liy schools, colleges, and 
learned societies. I'\^w of these, even, are regardless of 
the claims of the many. "I would be glad to see the 
t'hildren's Museum bccnme well establisiied," said the 
curatt)r of Scieni'e in ISoslon "for it will relieve us of 
a kind of duty that we are not equipped for, either in 
time or money. Teachers ask a good deal, and when 
they ask we do not feel that we can refuse." 

It is a sign of health in the schools t)f Boston that 
they so pursue the specialist for help in their work. 

Practically every museum supjiorted by the public 
strives to do its duty to the schools. The American 
Museum of Natural History has docent service, and 
illustrated lectures, and lends sjecimens: (he Metro- 
[lolitan hires instructors and invites teachers to biing 
classes. The I'.rnnx Zoo and the A(|uarium have [tublic 



44 The Newark Museum Association 



school classes at i-egularly ai)]i()inte(l school periods; 
the Boston Art Miisciini and Cluldren's Mnseuni con- 
duct classes and take muleiials into the schools: there 
is active school teachinfj worlc done hv the innseunis of 
Worcester, Providence, rinciiiiiali. Toledo, liidianapo- 
lis, — in fact everywhere curators are coming to recog- 
nize their tasks as those of teachers of the schools. 

At the Commercial Museum at Philadelphia, school 
houi's are tilled hy scliool classes attending illustrated 
lectures upon industrial jn-ocesses and then visiting 
the correlated special exhibits shown hy the museum. 

When the art nuiseuni of Toledo puts up an exhibit 
of iKiilcry. every grammar grade class in the city 
devotes an hour and a quarter of school time to attend 
a demonstration at tiie museum of pottery making, and 
then studies the exhibit. The same thing occurs when 
the subject of the special exhil)it is stain(>d glass, or 
lace, or jiastels; so that during the winter each jtujiil 
above the fourth gi'ade s])ends a nuuiber of school hoiu's 
receiving instruction in the arts at the museum. 

At Indianapolis, the contents of the Children's Room 
are changed each month to meet the needs of the school 
course in art. fjandscapes, designs, figure drawing, 
whatever is llie subject accentuated during the month, 
are shown — and tlie classes come, using the materials 
provided by the museum, sketching, taking notes, under 
file instruction of teacher, art supervisor or museum 
instructor. 

The Art Museum of T'.oston does elaborate woik for 
a grou]> of teaclieis. and gives eacli teacher an outline 
that she uiny dujilicale liie lesson fur lier class. 

The doccnt in the \v\ Musimiiii of Piiisbuigh gives a 



The Educational Value of Museums 45 



let-tui-c illustrated by slides, slinws llie elass what llie 
gallery holds of illustrative material, and sets a jinih- 
Icni for solution liy tlie children. 

There remains I he museum devoted to the service of 
the people, and lari^cly throunh llie schools, — that type 
of museum which acknctwledges, "We have not sul'li- 
cient money lo buy gi-eat works of arl. Classirs and 
antiquities are far beyond our ho]ies. IJesides. every 
new museum asjiirinii' io 1lie ;;real masters, iiiusi lie 
worse otf llian ils predecessors, since the sujiply of old 
masters is necessarily limited. There is, nearby, a 
museum ei|ui|i]ied for the sjiecialist. Oui- task is to 
make the soil oul of which masler ailisis and special- 
ists grow." 

So we have people's museums, miiseuuis ot industry, 
children's museums. These museums lind out what the 
schools need or want, open channels of communication 
with them, and sujiply these needs through these chan 
nels. 

l^^ailure to liring aliout such intercourse with the 
schools that every child liears the threefold invitation 
of art, science, industry, spells ess("ntial failure foi' the 
]>eo]de"s museum. 

It is not true tliat, though 100', of the children have 
heard these calls, ihey must all heed all or any of them. 
There are ear-minded children, introsjiective or retlec- 
tive children, imaginative and ratiocinative ihijdien, 
who are hamjiered rather than heljied by enchainment 
to material things, jiowever interesting or beautiful. 
These will jiass the summons by. The mission of the 
museum is to silt out those who can prolit by syste- 
matic \isual instrnction, and to sei-\'e them intensiveh-. 



46 The Newark Museum Association 



All t'uiiirsi L'llort is being made to do this in many 
places. The most successful methods used are, to recap- 
itulate: 

1. Such a museum devotes the greater i)art of ils 
time ami iiiouey to jieople, not to things. It regards 
curators as more valuable assets than collections. It 
is known as the place where Mr. Blank or Miss lilauk 
works, not as the place where sudi and such things are 
"preserved."' 

2. Its collections consist of concrete material cor- 
responding to units of thought. It is like a library. 
Each department is a book; each room is a chapter: 
eacli case is a iiaingiajih : each shelf is a sentence. 

In the Brooklyn Chihli-en's Museum is a <ase C()n- 
taining nunlels of wax and of the anatcimy of the bee. 
They are so old that no one knows wlicnce Ihey came. 
They were of little use, until the curator set opposite 
them a bee hiv^e whose occupants fly in and out of the 
building, carrying on their social functions under the 
eyes of llie young visitors. Fi-om that moment tlie old 
models gained a meaning and a value. 

To make each museum unit a thought unit two things 
are necessary : 

A. "I'lii- ordiodox iiH'lhod of tilling eacli shelf with 
many sjiecimens, so similar tliat (mly experienced eyes 
can see differences between them, must be changed by a 
decrease in the nuudter of tilings and an increase in the 
differences between the specimens. That is to say, a 
synopsis only must be shown in each show case. 

The I'easons for this are threefold : First, the lay- 
man cannot appreciate minute ditferences: second, 
untrained minds liecome confused bv a multitude of 



The Educational Value of Museums 47 



impressions; tliird. wiieu everything is sliown, crowd- 
ing results. 

B. The relations hetweeu neighhoriug articles must 
chiefly be. not those of siniilnrily, Imt tiiose of causa 
lion. Tilt' iiioi-c (lyii;uiiic an I'xliiliii ilic hkhc viiiorous 
the impression. The interest sliow n liy iiiosi observers 
varies in a descendins; scale accoiiliii^ lo whciliei" the 
tilings sliown ai-e: 

(1.1 Living, as in a /(kj, in- nc|iiaiiiiiii, oi- aviaiy. 

(2.1 In action, as when I lie aiiloinatic stereopticon 
shows its pictures. 

(■'!.) Showing a dramatic siinaiion, as in halii!a( 
groups. 

(4.1 Indicating the life cycle of an individual, as 
from moth to motli, or the development oi' a s]iecics, as 
from bog to coal, or the develojmient from raw mateiial 
to tinishcd ]ii-odnct, as from the shell to the Imt ton. The 
least interesting thing is an unrelated thing, and next 
to that come two things related merely hy resemblance. 

The Attitude of Schools 

As to the schools, they have their jirolilems also in 
the matter of co-operation. The traditional way to test 
school results is by books learned. exam]>les "done." 
compositions written, and technical excellence acquired. 
To intei'fere with routine by insisting that it is also 
worth while to see beauty, to love natur(>. or to feel 
with the invenioi- his thrill, is to arouse opjiosition in 
the mechanical-minded. 

^^'here the course of study makes no jnovision for 
the use of any knowledge <ii" jiowei' gained outside of 
le.xt books, or where siii-h jirovision is a dead letter. 



48 The Newark Museum Association 



till' t(>iu-lit'i- who iilijccts to ;i iiieaniugless junket is 
rijrht. 

Also, where ancient customs ju-evail, tliei-e is always 
danger lliat cousei-vative parents or citizens will criti- 
cise. 

But, so far as nij- visits went, this discussion is aca- 
demic. I found only one place where the schools do not 
quite freely use the museiiiii so Car as it is equipped 
with materials and assistants adapted to their needs. 
They do this better than they use tlie libraries. 

In one city the museum director reports that the 
Board of Education pays transport atitm. when llie 
child cannot: in another, the lioard of Trade tinder- 
takes to do so. In Toledo, classes can move al)out with 
great freedom, for the carfare of young children is only 
one cent. In I'll Isbuigli, il costs twenty cents to give a 
child from a distaiuc his glimpse of the beauty on the 
hill. The director there is considering the getting of 
subscrijitions to overcome this dil'ficulty. 

Difficulties in Securing Co-operation 

As is evident, each library, each museum and each 
school system gets its |ioinls of contait where it can 
and dev('lo]is accoidiug to its own genius. The result 
is that no two sittiatioiis have the same virtues. But 
all the situations have the same vice and that a natural 
and inevitable (Hie. in view of the manner in which the 
three educational factors are governed. In every place 
the w-eakness consists in a lack of correlation, due 
mostly to a lack of knowledge and of symjiathetic 
insight. Schools do not know what libraries have for 
th(>m. Libraries do not know \\hat museums are doinK. 



The Educational Value of Museums 49 



MiistMiuis ilo iidt know Imiw scliools are luii. Xouc of 
tlic'jse agem-ies kuows I lie jmlilic wliiih it servos. 

The lieail of a prominent secondary sdiool assured 
tlie lil)rariau, "Really there is no value in lessons on tli<^ 
iilirary tor our students. A\'liat lliey neeil is just io he 
shown Ihrougii, you know, froiu narret to cellar, made 
familiar with it, you know." Thi.s schoolman thinks 
thai a lihi-ary is a liuildiuii'. 

A iironnnent museum ollicial vaunis his museu)u as 
democratic. "We are ylad Io have school classes come 
.•md spend the day with us. And our lunch room ](ro 
vides a nourishing' siiu]il(» lunch for iwcniy-live cents I" 

The curator iu one museum thinks thai he is diiing a 
"great work"' in the schools when oul of some li'.ODd 
school children he gets "over a hundred" essays on "A 
visil to ( )ur iluseum." .V lilirarian considers her work 
as "a poor husiuess" when only half the teachei-s bring 
their classes. And a scliool pi-iu<iiial, who himself is a 
sludent, lii'st li(U-rows froiu The city library all that if 
has on a subject and then sends (hirly chihlren. after 
scho(d, with no ciia])eroue and no knowledge of how 
to use a refei-ence book, Io "look up" llie same subj<'cl 
for a ilebale. All these misunderstandings a real get- 
together spirit would quickly obviate. 

If every nuiseum were to put. as does Pi'ovideiu'e, a 
hibliograjihy on the wall beside ils well labeled cases, 
and conveniences for consult ing the books near the 
cases, there would bi- less vacant idling through the 
museums oi the country. 

These observations are the partial results of visits to 
other cities. And they lead directly to the following 
snira'estions as to the Newai-k Museums. 



50 The Newark Museum Association 



Applications to Newark Museums 
Their Obvious Advantages 

The Xc'w;uk Miisciiiii Association is to be congi-atu- 
liited on several counts: Its ninsenuis Iiave not been 
iiiven by any one creator. They need the su])port of 
all citizens. They have so little that, with a well dctined 
purpose, future accretions should lall easily into jilace. 
These museums, beins Imused under the same roof as 
the library and directed by the liliiarian, such an inti- 
nuicy is possible, ]>erha])s, as may enable Newark to b(> 
the lirst cily cumijletely to interwea\'e llie work of the 
schools, the museums, and the libraries. \\'ith Ex-Gov- 
eiuoi- Mur])liy, Pi-esiden( of tlie l^ssex ("ounly Park 
('oiiimission, as jiresident and sympathizini; with and 
understanding the work, there is also a chance of giv- 
ing it such a working relation with Ihe Paik (^Commis- 
sion as exists, ])robably, nowhere exec])! in Itoston, 
where tlu^ Park (J'omuiission houses and provides 
upkeep for its Children's Museum. 

A museum should, for its best good, be poor; but 
not too )io(ir. Receiving so small a financial sujijiort 
from the city, ours is forltmale in having for its qmir- 
tors rooms 'which, though lew. are of a proper character 
for its collections. 

The Inevitable Growth of Any Museum 

No one starting a museum need fear that he will want 
for things. Whatever be its scope, things will flow in. 

This, at least, was the testimony of most of the 
museums visited. 

"We have struggled hard to preserve this museum for 



The Educational Value of Museums 51 



uil." siiys oue cmaldi', "nnd luive ofteudcd many wduld- 
be donoi's by refusing their collections." 

"This may seem to you a scant exhibit of modern art," 
says another, "but I assure you that we can't show what 
we have, and we couldn't luid we twice I he space." 

"The late cviradu-," sij^hs liis successor, "was snowecl 
under by material ihai his financial resources did uol 
enalde him to handh\" 

"II is easy for you lo see whaCs (he nuitler here," 
says a trustee. "The director lias |prrinillcil iis (o be 
overwhelmed with truck." 

"Build a museum in the desert." says one. "and you 
will shortly lind your collection ahead of your staff."' 

Two of the m(tst el'licieut small iiiuseunis visited, in 
Providence and Brooklyn, spend almost nothing for 
their collections, but rely on doiuitious and the speci- 
meus obtained by their stall'. .\nd we are witnesses 
recently of the straits to which the Metropolitan has 
been put merely to house what has been given. 

It is not suggested (liai the Newark director shall 
never buy. 15ut, being |>oor, he will uoi make impulsive 
purchases. lOacli will either fill the ga]>s iu a ]dan which 
has been based upon gifts already received, or will 
umke the lieginniug of a collection based on an idea 
calculated to attract gifts for its completion. 

No director, starting a museum uuder a set o( trus- 
tees who undei'stand and sup|ioi-t him, need fear the 
final outcome because (he beginnings are small. A ]uill- 
togetliei- s])irit is worth as much as a nulliou dollar 
endowment — ami atti-acts the endowment. 

Evidently, then, the association has ouly lo be harmo- 
niously aggressive, ami its educational value is assurecl. 



52 The Newark Museum Association 



Disadvsuitages of the Newark Museums 

Newark's position ucai- onr gi-i'ute.st eity, often called 
ail assef, is sonietiint-.s seeii to be the opposite. To 
ol)taiii for Newark ciiUural agencies, such as tirst class 
theatrical performances, grand oi)era and museums, is 
more dil'licult (haii for interior cities of the same size. 
The argument that those who wish tiiese things can go 
to New York, witii its implication that those who can- 
not go often to New York do not wish cultural o])](or- 
tiinities, is the usual argument of the Cans about the 
Cau'ts. \Ve can liardl.N ex]iect our c-ity to be entirely 
free from this spirit. 

The obverse tendency, to pour contributions into cof- 
fers which are already full, is equally common. We see 
it in huge gifts to the great colleges and in neglect of 
home institutions, in the crowding of large churches 
and the stream of donations to the larger museums. 
The Newark museums will doubtless have seven lean 
years and then seven fat years; it is a common exper- 
ience. 

The conscientious conservative we have always with 
us. In this jiarticular instance, the conservatives have 
especial advantages in argument. They insist that it be 
proved to them : 1. lluseums are good ; 2. Newark needs 
a museum ; 3. It should be three kinds of a museum ; 4. 
It is needed soon; 5. It should serve as an educational 
agency; (i. It should be co-operative in method and 
democratic in spirit. 

Those who are conservative because they cannot see 
until they are shown, are the class who most need 
museums. 

The habit ol' large giving bv individuals for the com- 



The Educational Value of Museums 53 



uioii weal lias iKit vet become tixed aiiioDji wealtliy 
Newarkers ; aud such giving lias been ehiedy foi- that 
type of charity which obviously helps its object, rather 
than that which more subtly enables him to help him- 
seir. The more dilticult ]n-actice of creating so general 
au enthusiasm as shall attract the mites of the multi- 
tude is also yet in its infancy liere. l'>ut civic conscious- 
ness is rapidly growing. Ni'warlc's museums liid fair 
to come into port on the crest of a tidal wave wliich is 
just now rising. 

Although most of Hie individual things tliat the 
Newark museums nugiit to do arc done soiiicwliere 
to-day, yet the entii-e sciieme is not to be seen in full 
operation anywher(>. The carrying out of good plans 
will lie slow, for it will be imj^ossible to hire trained 
e.\]>erts til dii what lias not yet been done. Hence, sus- 
taining tiie jiromotors' faith and rousing of eiitlnisiasm 
in others will require botii wisdom and vignr. 

Each of these drawbacks lias been suH'ered by some 
museum visited. They are writTen in archives, wiiis 
jiered in ]irivale conferences, and inqilied in formal 
rejiorts. They lu^ed not apjiall. though some of them 
will iiihbiubtcdly annoy. 

Suggestions for the Newark Museums 

Genera! Scope of These Museums 

in the near future, the ciiy gnvernmcnt will pcrh,-i]is 
unt provide more than liuibliugs and u]i keep, including 
salaries, for the Newark Muscuim. Collections must be 
gained through subscri]itions ami gifts. As the city 
contains jsersoiis of diverse tastes who are likely to give 
lo iustitutious if they have already a dejiartment cov- 



54 The Newark Museum Association 

ei-iu<4' tilt' special inleri'st involved, the association 
.should collect, as soon as uiay be, a nucleus of really 
good things in all its tliree fields, art, science and indus- 
try. History is omitted because archaeology can be 
included under ethnology, and, because in Newark is 
the headquarters of the New Jersey Historical Society, 
and duidicatiou of work is bad policy. 

This nucleus, however small in quantity, should be 
of such excellent iiuality as may encoui-age real con- 
noisseurs to commit their treasures to the museums' 
keeping. The next few years will be the heroic age, 
the Days of the Fathers, which will be looked back to 
with respect when the time of fruition has come. Com- 
pare the humble beginnings of the Metropolitan 
Museum with the opulence of its three latest be<]uests. 

Since the city government can not righteously sub- 
sidize any enterprise that does not prove its value to 
the city, the associaticm must immediately prove itself 
to be an agency both of cultural and of economic value. 
This it can do only by serving both adults and chil- 
dren, both for education and for recreation. 

Art 

As an agency of cultural jileasure-giving. the art 
department should be pre-eminent. 

For this purpose, not rarity, but beauty is necessary. 
Connoisseurs can see in the metropolis collections with 
which our collection can never compete. The comjiara- 
tively uninforiued can be well introduced to such types 
as will ultimately make them also judges and enjoyers 
of beauty, through reproductions and traveling exhibits, 
if these are well displayed. The present sculjiture hall 



The Educational Value of Museums 55 

])r<)v<'s this. Tliere iirc luniiy linlli'iics r(ini:iiiiiiii; iimre 
vnliialilc ciillcilidos (linii this liltlc i;riiii|) <<( l:iiniliar 
casls; lint iin collccliou i.s iiKirc ]>erreclly i)l;\(('(l ami 
jiroiipi'd f(i in'iiducc refined aesthetic ])leasnre. 

l''vei-y ell'di't siioulil he made lo liml where, in ili(> 
lily, ai-l is stndied. and in ennnecliun wilii wiiat i;riiH|is 
dl' jietijile art a]iiireeial inn is liivcly In l)e easily evoked, 
and, tlironji'h tiie sinijile materials ilial ean lie atf'ordi^d, 
inlellii^cHl cd (i|iiMal inn slmnld lir crraled with liiese 
I'ui'ees I'nl' these ends. 

Financially, the ail de|iarlmeni can prnlil the city 
just in so lai- as llie city's industries ajipreciale the 
ecnnnnnc \'alne nC heanty. A Inmp ui' clay worth less 
than a penny, may. when t ransl'oi-nied liy the indnstry 
id' the ai-tisan into a howl, he worth a dollai-; when 
Iransrormed hy the skill of the artist into a heantil'nl 
how i. il may he worth many thousands ol' dollars. 'I'lie 
like is trne to some extent of many indnstries. An 
iudnstrions and Tnii-al jeweler can make a livinii'; an 
inventive and artistic jeweler can make a lort\nn'. The 
dillerence helween a live dollai- and a twenty dollar hat 
is mnch more in the style than in llie malei-ial. The 
next jieneralion, tanjilit the jirincijdes of j;oiiil taste in 
the schools, will prove this more Inlly than do we, and 
as America comes into comi)elifi(Hi with nations where 
the economic valne of heanty is known, onr mannl'ac- 
Inrei-s will learn it of necessity. A ui'owth in this 
knowledge shonld he slimnlaled hy a ]iersonal pi-opa 
s;anda of museum siip]iorl amoitii' the maniifaihirers 
of Newai-k. 

1''he Art ^Iiisenm of Toledo shows two rooms, hnilt 
within the Miisenm. their fnrnitiire coslini; aimnt the 



56 The Newark Museum Association 

same, uue beaut iliil. I he other ugly. And the director 
advertises, through the city papers, that he will advise 
any householder how to get the most beauty for his 
moucy iu house furnishing and decoration. Were the 
art department of Newark's museiiiii to ilo lliat, and 
then to furnish young artists with opjiortunities to 
cater to the taste thus awakened, Newark's finances 
Would be materially im|)roved, both llirough the retain- 
ing of much money now sjient elsewhere and by the 
attracting of a high gi-ade ut purchasers to this city. 

Industry 

There can be no question as to llie advisaliility of 
making industrial exiiibits prominent, for several rea- 
sons: 

\'o(alional ('(luration is receiving attention from 
Ixiih citizens and school authorities in Newark. The 
schools have estat)]islH>d a vocational elementary school 
for boys, and the same is to be done for girls. The East 
Side and Die Centi-al higii sdiools both euijihasize the 
educational value of technical subjects. Newark has 
long had a technical evening school. And yet, the city 
does not ])retend to have solved the (pu'stion of voca- 
tional guidance. Any lielp iu alfording o|i]iort unity for 
insight into the methods and jirocesses of the world's 
industries will doid)tless be gratefully received by both 
teachers and parents. 

Newark is a city of industries. The curators in Phil- 
adelphia assert that the heads of the deveIo]iing busi- 
nesses in tJieir city give ajipreciative co-o]!eratioii t() ail 
that the Comuiercial Museum undertakes. There can 
be no better advertiseuieni than such ostentatious 



The Educational Value of Museums 57 



fiaiikiu'ss as is sliuwn by the Irt'c cxcursioiis of iuspec- 
tidU uHcrcil lo visiliu^' Iimisewives liy 1lie Franco-Aiiieri 
call Sduji r(iiii])aiiy. 111- siicli scrt'cii |iiriiircs uf faitui- 
ios as tliuse sliowii (Ui llic Heinz I'ier in Atlantic ("ily. 
TJie innst'imi li'uslees slionld liend tlieir individual euei- 
•jies t(i inducing the nianufacturers of the city to put 
loans and gills on exliiliilioii in tlie nuiseuni. 

Tlie elementary iiulilic scho(ds eni|iliasize industrial 
geography, and, as Ihere are delinile reipiirenients t'ov 
this ill the courses ol' study and delinile lests involving 
these topics, the leaclieis will doiddless he glad to lake 
advantage ot anyihing calculaled lo lill their leacli 
ing oul of llie <li-eaiiness of word-gelling. The fact 
that niosl of the schools are al leiii|il ing lo do this hy 
the aid of slei-eoscopes and slereoplicoiis indicates tliat 
other means of visual instrudion in ge(»graphy \\ill he 
ap]ireciateil. 

The amount u\' visual inslruclion in Ihe industries 
of the \vor](l now gi\en in tlie scliools, and Ihe aiiiouiit 
of co-o]ieration in crealingan indiisliial exhiliil ohlain- 
able from Newark iiidnslries sliould he in\-estigated, 
and the developmeul of Ihe indiisliial <le](artnieiit of 
the museum sliould he adajMed to llie needs and ihe 
o))portiinities thus (h-velo]icd. 

There is, in Newark, a course of sliidy on Newarl; 
herself. I*u]>ils are expecled to lind oiil for liienisel\-es 
certain things and rejiort upon some of the more olivioiis 
resnlls of cily governmenl. 'i'he pu]iils of Ihe (iA grade 
are supposed to visit Ihe lllirary. merely l<i gain a cur- 
sory imju-essiou of Ihe liuilding. ilol to experience its 
use. The hesilalioli which they evidi'iilly feel in doing 
this indicates one wav in which museum iii\ ilal ions lo 



58 The Newark Museum Association 

cliildi-eii iiiiglil help to hi-ins abuut what the school 
o'licials waul. And some questions brought to the 
lilii-aiians witii the request that they provide a hook- 
that will answer them, show jdaiuly the need for olijec- 
tive teaching lliat will lead In Ihe relegation of the text- 
book to its rightful place. A pui)il, for instance, mod- 
estly asks for a book ans\\eriug (he ([uestion, "Are 
garbage cans properly emptied in your neighborhood?" 
Such a course th(» museum can inalcrially ]icl]i lo iii;ike 
]pi-actical. 

Science 

In science. Ihe situaliou is more dillicnll. It is Irue 
thai within the past twenty years interest in nature 
study as a recreation has increased. It is al.so true that 
our industrial jjrosperity has been created largely by 
our scientific discoveries and inventions. Yet nature 
study in many American sdiools is neglected or per- 
functory, except in the raie cases of a teacher »v jirin- 
cipal enthusiastic on Ihe sul)jecl. an<l there is nothing 
harder to prove to many jiarents than that a love of 
nature or a taste for nalural scieiU'C in their children 
can be turned to ju'olitable account, livery city con- 
tains many business failures, and mediocre professional 
men, who would have made siucessful farmers, poultry- 
meu. tlorisls. foresters or chemists had they been able 
to know and lo follow their bents. 

The musc\iiii should alford a symjialhctic centre for 
the scienlitic interests of the coiiiniunily. and serve 
these interests by the exhibition and circulation of 
specimens, and by fostering lield work, collections and 
laboratory work among both old and young. The Chil- 
dren's Museum of I'.rooklvn has seni oul a nunilicr ol' 



The Educational Value of Museums 59 



I'xpeit wireless telegraphei's. ;inil counts li'ee-]ilanl Idi;- 
eliilis ;\s iiidii-ect resulls of ils \Miik with cliildi-eii. 

Whatever is dune in any deiiartineul must he a 
growth. For some years, jtrohahly, only those chihlren 
will be made aware of wiiat is olVered in nature sUidy 
whose teaehei's oi' parents have a lasle for Iii<' sulijecl. 

There are many |in[>ils graduated liom the elemen- 
tary schools, who have never visited the lihrary, and 
wIlo cannot IJnd an arlich' in an encyclo|i;edia. .\lucii 
more will this be the case with the imisenm. l\-\\ lour- 
teen-year-old children lia\c imm- seen any sialiie ullier 
than those in t)ur parks and in their own churches. 

^'ow, growth is necessarily slow, 'i'lie viial matter 
is not how far we have ])ro^ressed, liiil are we progi-ess- 
ing? 

Some places are in advance of us; but there is no 
evidence that there is any .\nierican city where every 
child knows how to look for information in a l)ook of 
reference, how to visit the pulilic libi-ary, the museum 
and the public parks with ]irolil, and what are the 
chiel points of interest in his city. Something at' all 
this is done everywhere; jierliaps not all of it anywhere. 

Newark has made a good start in at least two of these 
direction.s: A considerable jiercentage id' her chihlren 
use the library, for pleasure, an<l she h.-is a course (d' 
study u|)on the city, fully develojied on ]iaper ami some- 
what carried out in fact. It will be evident that In aid 
her in the other matters the task will be. not \i> develop 
the museum aibitrarily along prearranged lines, but to 
allow latitude, so that it may gi'ow to meet, as well as 
to create, demand. 

In earlier ])ages. the work of the docent may seem 



60 The Newark Museum Association 



to have beeu belittled. The museum of the future will 
develop the docent's work to a degree thus far uuiuui- 
gined. Some of the work uow doue by the doceut will 
be rendered unnecessary by better incthods of display 
and of labeling, but many new values w ill be found in it. 

For example, uuiuy children have never seen a statue 
of the nude. Some of these childieu. carefully drilled 
for twelve or fourteen years out of innocence into mod- 
esty, or, alas! into vulgarily, wlieu they enter the little 
Newark sculpture hall have a sluK-k which is often jiain- 
ful, and generally forbids the natural enjoyment of the 
beauty they lind there. Xewcomers. theiefore, are held 
in a griiu]) unlside the door and given a few minutes' 
prejiaration. They are told of the relation of dress to 
climate and custom; the vai-ialious of costume for sea 
bathing and atlilclics. are cited; tjic beauty of the 
human form is mentioned, and the studies made of it hy 
those who \\ish to follow such trades as that of cos- 
tume dcsigniug. They are asked to note the wooden- 
ness of the Assyrian ligures, tlie c(mventionality of the 
f^gyijliau, and tlic beauty of tjic Greek. They are ])re- 
I)ared for the wliilcn(^ss of the casts by being told of the 
ditference between an original and a I'Cjirod action. 

The children, tlius prepared, feci less cndtai-rassment 
ovei- llie exhibit. 

Quite as definite a preparation is needed that the 
iiiineial collection may be seen by children to any profit. 
Lessons for adults will, of course, lie developed in other 
ways, ^^'e liojie to get enlightenment and assistance 
from tlie New York Museum instructtus, although our 
liroblem, which is how to get the most nourishment out 
of a lillle display, is very ditfereut fnuu theirs. 



The Educational Value of Museums 61 



Specific Suggestions for These Museums 

The siiocilic measures aud seinieiices liy which tliese 
general suggestious may be achieved atl'ord a cdusider- 
ahle hitiliide i)f judgmeul. The loHowiiig is Imt oue of 
many possible plans. 

Children's Room 

Put about a thousand (h>nars into a small (/hildren's 
lioom. Have there startling, wonderlul, unusual and 
beautiful things, such as albinos, peacocks, sponge cor- 
als, a split naulilus shell, a(|uaria fed by fountains, au 
aviary, and a iiee hive. Select and arrange chiefly to 
attract admiration and astonishment. This wciuld lie 
the striking feature of the years' work. Compk'le it 
promptly, aud advertise it extensively. 

Habitat Group 

Spend about live hundred dollars in the prejiaraliou 
of a lialiitat group of New .Jersey birds likidy soon to 
disajipear. Have tin- habitat cunningly arranged to 
melt from rejiroduced plant and tlower, as luarsh mal 
low ami grass, into a painted backgiduiid. as in the hab- 
itat grou]>s at the Museum of Natural flistory. I'ul 
this grou]i in the hall of the lirst lloor. 

The aim in jire]iariiig this group is tAvo-f(dd : to adver- 
tise Ihe museum, and to ins]iire interest in jireserving 
the memory of the life forms now jiassing front the 
neighborhood id' Newark. This group would, ]ierhai)s, 
suggest to peo])le the giving ol' moiK^y for the pre])ara- 
tion (d' ot.her siudlar grou](s. 

These two things would constititte a spectacttlar dis- 
play, which would engage Ihe interest of the city and 



62 The Newark Museum Association 



rause cilizeus j;;eueiall_v, aod siibscriliers iu jiartieiilar, 
to ri-ali/A' that tlie iinisouin is alive. 

Educational Work 

Meauwhile, bend the best energies of the corps to tlie 
uiore serions work of iiiaugiuatiiii; an instructive 
niuseuiii. 

Minerals 

Arrange nialerial ir<Mii l)r. Uishriiw's ample supplies 
iu uiiueralogy in devel<>i)niental or induslrial series, as 
i'rom peat to coal, from co(iuina to marble, from mud 
to slate, etc. Accompany these series willi charts con- 
taining mounted pictures, and witli a list of books. 
Near these exhibits, available for reference, i)lace a few 
books on tables. Each display shuuld be simply and 
ex]dicitly lal)eled. 

Sculpture 

Cause lo be printed h-alU'ts treating iu sim])le Eng- 
lish (it liie subjects siiiiwii in the scul])ture room, and 
place outside the door of this rnom an auiumatic stcre- 
ofiticou, showing carefully selected sets of slides with 
brief accdinjianyiug labels, giving units nt' instruction 
u|«>ii sculpl urc. This is In give tlinse wlio have no other 
o]>|>orluuily for appiccial i\-e ol)servatiou of sculpture 
land they are the majorily of Newark's po]iulationi a 
chance, lii'si. to feel the aesthetic emotions jirojierly 
|irodiiced by scul]dure. and. then, to reinforce this feel- 
ing by knowledge of the great statues of tlie world. The 
feeling gained from the casts sh(mld cairy over to the 
reproductions displayed and discussed in the slides. 
In the scul])ture room shoidd be a full set of stereo- 



The Educational Value of Museums 63 



iiiajilis aud several stereoscopes ou a talile siiiiouudeil 
by chairs arranged for tlie free use of visitors. 

Nature and Science Room 

Place in the northeast room on the third floor tin- 
lieginnings of several allied, scieuee, ajiplied art aud 
industry exliiliits, as follows: 

Auiuial lOxliiliils 

A. The l!ee 

A hive of bees 

Models of wax 

Enlarged models of lices 

Specimens of wax aii<l Imiu'v 

A life history of the bee 

Bee pictures aud statist irs in diai-ls 

A list of literary, sciculitic aud economic 

treatments uf bees to be had in llie library" 
A few liooks aud jiaiiiplilels jilaced ((luveu- 

iently foi- use near the exhibil 
The bee in art — exempliticatious of the use 

of the bee as a mntil' in decdialion 

B. i:ii-ds 

A case couiaiuiug many |iirliires cil birds Inr 
lending, with notes attached : — ■•Notice, etc." 

A case containing single birds label(>d only 
with uuuibers, not names, aud accom])anied 
by cards whereon students ma,\' write the 
names, and then, getting a "key card." test 
Ihemselves fur cori-ectuess in naming 

A case containing specimens of bii-d lyjies. 
such as \\aders. hojijiers, runners, bii-ds uf 
])rey, etc., the classification being jiojmlar 
rather than scientific. These s]>ecimens id 
be lent to schools aiul classes for iuleiisive 

■ study 

Bibliography, books, slides, stereogra]ihs. as 
for bees 



64 The Newark Museum Association 

The bird in ;ut 

As suou iis it cau 1)0 alToi-ded, sonic iiioviug 
jiiclurcs on bird life 

C. Insecls 

Life histories of uoxious and of beueticial 
iuseets 

D. Fish 

A trealineiil as siiiiilai- as jiossible to the fore- 

goinji- 
All afniaiiuiii 

liidiistiial I'xliibits 

A. Pottery — the jirocess 
Raw materials 

The casting jirocess, the wheel process, ])late 
making, hand built ](ottery, and glaze 

E. Pottery — tiie history 
C. Textiles 

Spinning and \yeaviug, processes and his- 
tory 
Materials 
Wool 

Oeograpliic distrilKilioii 
Animals from which obtained 
Care of animals 
Processes of jircparing wool 
Fibres 
Cott(.n 

Treatment similar to that of wool 
Silk, (lax. other fibres 
Methods 

Felting, weaving, netting, knitting 
S]»inning, by dislalf and sjiindle, by wheels 
Weaving 

>«'avajo loom, hand looms, horizontal 
and vertical, tapestry loom, and mod 
ci-n machinery 



The Educational Value of Museums 65 

Clii.ssificatiou of textiles 

Brocades, velvets, damasks, etc., of various 
periods and places 

Tapestries, decorations 

( 'arpets 

Embroideries 

Stamped and printed textiles 

Modern decorative textiles 
Practical invest ijjaf ions 

Fillings with sizing and clay 

Weighting 

Imitations 

Ilow to judge and test 

Standard cloths 

Labels, gnai'antees and laws 
Budgets of clothing, as: ^^'hat girls should 

wear to school; wliiil :i business woman 

should wear, etc. 
Hygiene of clolliing 
Colors and dyes 
Handwork of modern women, as: Colonial 

jteriod (restrained lyjie) ; N'icloriau 

peiiod (exuberant typei; I'resent day 

jieriod ( conseidusly nrtistie type) 
D. Basketry 

Evolution of basket from guunl 

Evolution of pottery from basketry 

Tyjtes of basketry 

( "olor in l)asketry 

Eornis and <lesigns 

I'ses 

Symb()lism 

Exhibits at' Ilabitations n) M;in 
A. Prehistoric 

Cave men, lake dwellers, &c. 
Parallels in present day examjiles. of primi- 
tive conditions 



66 The Newark Museum Association 



B. Early historic types 

Villages in Greece, etc. 

C. Middle Ages 

Town house 

Castle 
I). The new world 

Pidneer Cdnditions, as house in stockade, etc. 

The house ot to-day 
E. Occupations and art of men in the various stages 
indicated liy the houses exemplified. 

Botany 

Nothing has been said of botany. The museum owns 
a considerable and interesting collection of woods, tiie 
gift of (iovernor Murphy, and Dr. Disbrow has many 
.specimens of useful plants and a large herbarium. As 
in years past, so in the future the annual exhibit of 
liudding tree branches provided bv the Park Commis- 
sion will probably be shown in the Children's IJoom. 
It will be easy to du[dicate this in llie branch libraries 
and to continue it in a display of llowers, both wild and 
cultivated, as they bloom, giving both scientific and 
common names, habitats, and the name of the first 
donor of each species. 

Hygiene, Education, Etc. 

Neither has any mention been made of exhi!)its bear- 
ing ujnin human health, and education. The modern 
movements in civic betterment, city planning, mosquito 
extermination, shade tree work, all should be recognized 
in a depart iiient, and nuiterial to aid the schools in 
teaching hygiene and the citizens in furthering civic 
education would easily till another room. 

Besides the accui'ate ethnologic models for which 



The Educational Value of Museums 67 



these suggestiiiiis inovide, llicre .should he historic and 
oeographic scenes, not as small as and less ornate than 
those shown in the Cliildien's Museum of Brooklyn, 
which could he shown in hranches and lent to schools 
or classes, made and airanged in portahle shajie. Such 
groups should he so sim])ly made that Ihe childien 
would he moved to make similar ones and similar mod- 
els made h_v individuals or hy groups of children shoulil 
he given ])i-ominence, exhihils heiitg made ot I hem. 

Museum Loans 

The Museum puhlishes a lisl of articles now on hand 
which it can lend to schools or classes. To these can 
he added the reproductions of famous jiainlings now 
owneil I)y the Museum, and industrial material, geo- 
graphic models, hirds and hii'd jiictures, insects, insect 
histories, stereographs and lantern slides, and geo- 
graphic models as they can he jnirchased. 

Leading to Other Museums 

While this Museum should attempt at once to reach 
and to teach a few siiuple things to the very many for 
whom it will he the only availahle museum o]i]iortunity, 
it should not neglect the many who might take advan 
tage of the New York museums if they were so diiected. 

A systematic stimulation of visits to the great gal- 
leries and inuseums across the Hudson could he etlected 
hy showing a full line of jiictures and repi'oductions of 
what these museums (lisjday, hy ottering occasionally 
personally conducted lours to them, and hy referring 
to their features as fully as is done to the Newark 
Lihrary hooks in lahels and catalogs. In this system 
is included the Bronx Zoo ;uid the New York Aquarium. 



Index 69 

Index 



I'Al.l-. 

American Museum of Natural History, some metliods... 4o 

American Museums Association reports xiv 

Animal exhibits should be in Newark's museums 2, tj:j 

Applied art should lie included in Newark's museums. ... 2 

Aipiarium exhibit in Northeast Room xiii 

Aiiuarium, New York, school classes 4o 

Arrangement principles 29 

Art museum sluiuld be in Newark's museum group 1 

Art should be pre-eminent in Newark's museums .54 

Ashle.y, Mr., of Demarest, N. .1., quoted 22 

Association of American Museums, Reports helpful xiv 

Astronomical instruments as teaching devices '■','■' 

Basketry exhibit outline tj.j 

Bather, Dr. Arthur, advice to the curator of a small 

museum 21 

Bather, Dr., on curators 2.S 

Bather, Dr., on museums of <'urious things 11 

Bee exhibit, outline *>'■' 

Beers, Miss .Jessica, to report on Buffalo and Chicago xi 

Bird exhibit in Northeast Room xiii 

Bird exhibit, outline <•'■'• 

Boston Museum of the Society of Natural History Id 

Boston Art Museum school work 44 

Boston Children's Museum 27 

Boston Museum curator of science (pioted 4.'! 

Botany exhibit GO 

Bronx Zoological Garden school classes 4M 

Brooklyn Children's Museum bee exhibit 4i> 

Brooklyn Children's Museum, growtli by gifts ."I 

Brooklyn Children's Museum juvenile workers 2(! 

Brooklyn Children's Museum results of work ."I'.i 

Catalogs as teaching devices '■',<] 

Charleston Museum, story of 17 

Chicago museums 27 

Children, activities for. as feacliing devices -V.) 

Children decoyed to a museum 2(! 

Children's room in Smithsonian 4.', 

Children's Room should be a feature of Newark's 

museums 01 

Cincinnati Art Museum, anecdote I'.i 

Cincinnati Art Museum school work 44 

Cincinnati volunteer docents 20 

Citizens of all ages need education 17 

City administration a museum 7 

City planning should be shown in Newark's museums.... 00 
Civic betterment should be department of Newark's 

museums 00 

Classes as teaching devices ".2 

College museums as a class 12 



70 The Newark Museum Association 

Page 

Conditions of museums visited 15 

Connolly, Miss Louise, selected to inspect museums viii 

Co-operation, difliculties in securing 4S 

Co-operation, extent of 39 

Co-operations of educational agencies 38 

Curator, The 28 

Dead museums 10 

Devices in museum teacliing 31 

Devices, list of 31 

Disbrow, Dr., collection 62 

Disbrow, Dr., work in identification 22 

Docentry 29 

Docentry as a teaching device 32 

Doctrine of interest 27 

Dying tendency of some museums 16 

Education, progress of, by museums 22 

Educational agencies, co-operation of 38 

Educational agencies of a city 20 

Educational aspect of museums 17 

Educational needs of citizens 17 

Educational possibilities 19 

Educational value of museums 1 

Educational work should be a feature of Newark's 

museums C2 

Endowed museums as a class 13 

Entertainments as teaching devices 33 

Exchange system of Smithsonian 43 

Exclusive ownership basis for some museums 10 

Excursions as teaching devices 33 

Fairbanks Museum of St. .Tohnsbury, Vt 16 

Fine arts should be included in Newark's museum 1 

Fish exhibit 64 

Flower tables as teaching devices 33 

Greek villages, etc 66 

Groups as teaching devices 37 

Habitat exhibit in Northeast Room xiii 

Habitat exhibit outline 65 

Habitat group should be a feature of Newark's Museums. 61 

Herbarium 66 

Hoarding instinct basis for some museums 9 

Hygiene in Newark's museums (i6 

Indianapolis Museimi school work 44 

Industrial exhibits, outline (it 

Industrial geography in elementary scliools 57 

Industries of Newark should be shown in Newark's 

museums 2 

Industry museum should be in Newark's museum groui)..3, 56 

Insect exliibit 64 

Insect exhibit in Northeast Room xiii 

Interest, the doctrine of 27 

Labels as teaching devices 34 



Index 71 

I'Ar.R 

Laliels that teach ^JG 

Laboratories as teaching devices '.i'.'i 

Laity employment as a teaching device :-!:! 

Learning by doing 26 

Lectures as teacliing devices 31 

Lectures outside the museum as teaching devices 32 

Lending collections should be in Newark's museums :.'. 

Lending objects as a teaching device :i-! 

Librarians as educational agents 20 

Libraries and museums, co-operation 'is, 40 

Libraries, lessons in use 41 

Live creatures as teaching devices 31 

Live museums 1 ti 

Loans made to schools (iT 

Lopez, ,T. S., on the Commercial Museum of Philadelphia. 27 

McMurry's Method of the Recitation, noted 2 1 

Method of presentation 2,s 

Metropolitan JIuseum of Art 14 

Metropolitan Museum of Art, some methods 43 

Middle Ages, habitations 6fi 

Minerals sliouUl be in Newark's museums 2, (52 

IModels as teaching devices 31 

iModels should be feature of Newark's museums Ofi 

Montgomery, T. H., quoted 17,24 

Morse, Kdward S., article, "If Public Libraries, wliy not 

Public Museums" noted 22 

Mosquito extermination should lie feature in Newark's 

museums (iii 

Murphy, Franklin, President "lO 

Museum history in Directory of American Museums. ... <S 

iMuseum methods summary 46 

Museum nuclei in Northeast Room xii 

Museum teaching, aim of 24 

Museum teaching, where shall it begin 23 

Museum, three divisions, as named by Dr. Arthur Bather 21 

Museums and libraries, co-operatiui 3S, 40 

Museums and schools, co-operation 39, 40 

Museums as educational agents 21 

Museums, attitude toward community 42 

Museiims, inevitable grow'th ."0 

Museums visited by Miss Connolly ix 

National Museum at AYashington 37 

Nature and Science Room 63 

New .lersey Historical Society work should not be dup- 
licated ri4 

New world habitations 66 

New York Aquarium, school classes 43 

New York's museums should be adve-tised 67 

Newark geography should be shown in Newark's museums 3 

Newark industries should be shown in New-ark's museums 2 

Newark Museums, advantages of 50 



72 The Newark Museum Association 

I'AGE 

Newark Museums, disadvantages of 52 

Newark Museums should be of practical value vii 

Newark Museums, suggestions for t<:', 

Newark Study in Newark's schools 57 

Nude stn tuary 60 

Old and new museums 5 

Paintings, copies and originals, should be in Newark's 

museums 1 

Patent oflice "model room" 5 

Philadelphia Commercial Jluseum 56 

Philadelphia Commercial Museum, activities described by 

J. S. Lopez 27 

Philadelphia Commercial Museum school work 44 

Philadelphia schools, interest in museums 27 

Photographs should be in Newark's museums 1 

Pittsburgh Art Museum school work 4."> 

Pittsburgh library work with children 41 

Pittsburgh museums and libraries 39 

Pittsburgh school visits costly 48 

Plants should be in Newark's museums 2 

Pottery exhibit in Northeast Room xiii 

Pottery exhibit outline 64 

Prehistoric habitations 65 

Presentation, method of 28 

Processes demonstrated as- teaching devices 31 

Professional men as educational agents 20 

Providence library lessons 41 

Providence Museum bibliographies near cases 49 

Providence iVIuseum growth by gifts 51 

Providence Museum school work 44 

Psychology of the museum 9 

Public welfare workers as educational agents 20 

Rare objects not essential 4 

Rea, Paul M., Secretary Association of American Museums xiv 

' Rea, Paul M., on the Museum of Charleston, S. C 17 

St. Johnsbury, Vt., Fairbanks Museum 16, 23 

School interest in museums in Philadelphia 27 

School teachers as educational agents 20 

School visits to museums 48 

Schools and museums, co-operation 39, 40 

Schools, attitTuie toward museums 47 

Science should be included in Newark's museums 2, 58 

Scratcher for deco>ing seal, specimen laliel 36 

Sculpture, copies and originals should be in Newark's 

museums I 

Sculpture leaflets should be printed 62 

Shade tree work should be feature in Newark's museums 66 

Smithsonian Institution inaccessible and gloomy 5 

Smithsonian Institution children's room 11 

Smithsonian Institution methods 42 

Sponges, specimen label 35 



Index 73 

Page 

Staff ability should keep ahead of amount of material 4 

Statue copies should be in Newark's museums 1 

Story-telling as a teaching device 32 

Subscription-supported museums as a class 14 

Synoptical science collection should be in Newark's 

museums 2 

Tax-supported museums as a class 14 

Teachers as educational agents 20 

Teaching devices 31 

Teaching, modern, leads to museum use 6 

Teaching of the museum, its aim 24 

Teaching of the museum, where shall it begin 23 

Teaching through the ear 29 

Teaching through the eye 29 

Textile exhibit in Northeast Room xiii 

Textile exhibit outline 64 

Toledo Art Museum methods 55 

Toledo Ai't Museum school work 44 

Toledo library lessons 41 

Toledo school visits to museum 4S 

Visual instruction by displays of objects 21 

Vocational education in Newark 5H 

Volunteer docents in Cincinnati 26 

Ward, Pres., on the museum and the library 38 

Wonder basis for some museums 11 

"Wonder is the beginning of Wisdom" 11 

Woods, collection of 6G 

Worcester Museum school work 44 

Working models as teaching devices 31 

Workmen as educational agents 20 



■0 



>,> T^ 



t/- c^^ 



,A 



,x^- '>•. 



X...,^^ 






0' 



,s>^-V 






■-..,xv- 









.^^^' 



v>' ./•, 









.^^^■ -V 



A^^' 



■-'■ A- 






y- y 






